At approximately 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14, a call came in to Cook County 911 Dispatch from a passerby reporting visible smoke and a residential structure engulfed in flame at 4 County Road 34 (Rollins Creek Road) in Lutsen Township.
Lutsen and Tofte fire departments along with Lutsen EMS and the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office were dispatched and on scene at 6:33 p.m. Schroeder and Grand Marais fire departments were later dispatched to assist and to secure additional water, along with the U.S. Forest Service Fire units out of the Tofte and Grand Marais District offices out of precaution, as the fire had the potential to spread into surrounding forest.
All four fire departments were on scene by 7 p.m., and tender trucks filled water tanks, shuttling back and forth to the emergency hydrant at Lutsen Resort. By 7:11 p.m., the fire was 80 percent contained and risk of further spread was not a concern.
The Grand Marais Fire Department was released from the scene at about 8 p.m. and the West End fire departments remained on scene to ensure that the fire does not re-ignite.
The two structures are a total loss. According to the property owners, the cabin should not have been occupied and power to the structure had been turned off. Como Oil & Propane was also contacted and dispatched a representative to assess the propane tank.
The cause of the fire is unknown; the state fire marshal is on scene investigating. No injuries were reported.
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