Latest news with #BemidjiFireDepartment
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Law enforcement investigating suspicious death of man found at Bemidji apartment
May 19—BEMIDJI — Law enforcement is investigating a suspicious death after a man was found dead at a Bemidji apartment on Monday. According to a release from Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin, on May 19, Beltrami County dispatch was informed of the discovery of a deceased adult male at the Courtyard Apartments located at 1300 America Avenue. As officers were responding to the scene, dispatch indicated they had also received a report of a gas leak in the same area and had called in the Bemidji Fire Department. When the officers arrived, they smelled a strong odor near the apartment complex and located the deceased man along with a woman and a young child inside one of the apartments, the release said. Law enforcement then worked to evacuate other residents of the apartment complex while firefighters worked on the potential gas leak threat. Meanwhile, members of the Bemidji Ambulance Service attended to the woman and child, who were transported to the Sanford Bemidji Medical Center for treatment. "Minnesota Energy responded to the scene and determined that there was no gas leak," the release said. "Once this was confirmed, all other residents were allowed back to their apartment and an investigation has begun to determine the cause of death for the adult male." There does not appear to be a threat to the public in this case, the release said. Anyone with information about the incident can report it and stay anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at , by calling (800) 222-8477 or by using the P3 Tip Submit app. "All contact with Crime Stoppers is anonymous and you may qualify for a reward of up to $1,000," the release said. "The Bemidji Police Department encourages you to submit information to Crime Stoppers so you are free of retribution and remain safe while doing the right thing."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildland fire claims 70 acres near Wilton
May 10—BEMIDJI — Low humidity levels and high winds have created dangerous fire conditions in the region, as was seen Friday afternoon when a wildland fire broke out near Wilton around 1 p.m. According to Joe Rucinski, Bemidji area forestry supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources, the fire spread quickly due to the gusty winds, and damaged around 70 acres of forest land and timber roughly half a mile south of Pete's Place West along the Soo Line Trail. "We had the Bemidji Fire Department and multiple DNR forestry engines, tracked vehicles and dozers working on the fire," Rucinski said. "As well as two water-scooping airplanes, a single-engine air tanker dropping retardant and one helicopter, all helping out." While there were several structures in the path of the fire, he said none were damaged as far as he knew. The primary damage was burning timber in a Norway pine plantation on Beltrami County land. He said some observed fire behavior was crowning — when the fire spreads quickly through the tops of the trees due to high winds — and group torching — when multiple trees ignite and burn at the same time. Some flame lengths were estimated to be shooting 50-60 feet into the air. The fire was primarily contained by 5 p.m. on Friday, and as of Saturday afternoon was in monitoring status. "So we're checking it two, three times a day to monitor things, but overall, it's looking really good," Rucinski said. Rucinski also added that with the low relative humidity and high winds forecast for the coming days, residents should be extra cautious about avoiding any activity that could potentially start a fire. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for much of Minnesota through Sunday for critical fire weather. Near-critical to critical fire weather conditions continue for Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures are forecast to be in the high 80s to low 90s through Wednesday, with winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 50 mph on Sunday and relative humidity as low as 15%. "Any fires that ignite will spread rapidly and become difficult to control. Outdoor burning is not recommended," the NWS warning said. "Southerly winds will continue to increase over the weekend, with extremely warm temperatures arriving by Sunday. The hot temperatures, low relative humidity values, and strong southerly winds could bring critical fire weather conditions Sunday afternoon." Beltrami County Emergency Management Director Chris Muller also issued a caution for local residents as the department continues to monitor the weather situation. "With persistent drought conditions, the unseasonably warm weather combined with strong winds and low humidity is certainly concerning for wildfire threat," Muller said. He added that Beltrami County has experienced numerous wildfires in recent years, and conditions are ripe for explosive wildfire growth. "As was experienced on Friday, fire can quickly spread," he continued. "We are fortunate to have numerous DNR resources that can quickly respond to wildfires. We are also thankful for our local fire departments that provide structure protection when flames get too close." * Be extra cautious using outdoor equipment * Avoid equipment that creates sparks * Check for dragging chains on vehicles/trailers * Keep equipment out of dry grass * Avoid outdoor burning * Debris/agricultural/trash burning * Campfires * Avoid activities that involve open flame and/or sparks * Don't carelessly discard cigarettes * Evacuate if ordered to do so by local authorities * Call 911 if you see fire or smoke
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bemidji City Council to hear from Fire Chief Justin Sherwood on 'critical staffing needs'
Mar. 24—BEMIDJI — The Bemidji City Council will welcome Fire Chief Justin Sherwood to tonight's work session to discuss "critical staffing needs" within the Bemidji Fire Department. Sherwood reports that the Bemidji department cannot meet national standards which recommends a minimum of four firefighters respond to each call. The Bemidji station, comprised of nine career and 48 on-call firefighters, can only guarantee one career firefighter per call. Sherwood hopes to change this to stay in lockstep with the rising demand for services. "Increasing the number of career firefighters at the Bemidji Fire Department is not just about meeting standards; it is about ensuring firefighter safety, reducing response times, improving operational readiness and strengthening community risk reduction efforts," Sherwood wrote in his proposal to the council. "As emergency calls, inspections and fire prevention needs continue to rise, an increased career staff will enhance service reliability, provide a safer working environment and ensure the department is fully equipped to meet the growing demands of the community." During the work session, he will present a comprehensive overview of the department's challenges and offer three potential choices the council could follow to help alleviate this issue in the future. The first asks the council to apply for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. Sherwood recommends the council ask for over $1.4 million to hire four firefighters. The second is to adopt a three-year plan that would shift available funds around to address the issue immediately. Year one would hire two firefighters while years two and three would add one additional firefighter respectively. The third is to change the staffing model from a 48-hour schedule to a 56-hour schedule. This adds 416 hours of duty to each firefighter's plate throughout the year but only requires the hiring of two new full-time firefighters. The council will mull these options during tonight's meeting which will begin at 5:30 p.m., March 24, at City Hall. No action can be taken by the council during a work session. All city council meetings can be viewed online at
