Fires

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office received the report about 10:45 p.m. at the sawmill east of Highway 371. Deputies found the kiln drying and storage building engulfed in flames.

The Pequot Lakes Fire District and Breezy Point Police Department responded to the fire the morning of March 14, 2026. The incident is under investigation.

The Staples Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming out of the building on the 400 block of Second Avenue Northeast, just before 8 a.m. Feb. 28, 2026.

Anita Charlene Gruel was pronounced dead at the scene. Her son Charles Lane Gruel was treated for injuries caused by the fire. The fire is still under investigation.

The cause of the Feb. 18, 2026, fire is under investigation, and the names of those impacted have not been released.

The remains of one person were located inside the home once the blaze was extinguished on Feb. 16, 2026.

The State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the explosion in a six-unit building near the Duluth Airport.

The fire was reported shortly after 10 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2026.

Fire personnel responded to an engulfed pole barn in Gnesen Township on Jan. 19, 2026.

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