Woman, 2 Dogs Die in Ely House Fire

Apr 2

A woman and two dogs died in a house fire late Tuesday in Ely, officials have confirmed.

Crews first responded to the home on North 5th Avenue East around 11:08 p.m. on April 1.

Ely Fire was dispatched to 254 North 5th Avenue East and first-arriving crews located a two-story, single-family home with smoke and flames visible from the rear of the structure. With uncertainty about whether anyone had escaped, firefighters entered the home to begin a search, but were quickly forced out due to intense heat and smoke.

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Firefighters launched aggressive initial suppression efforts, then re-entered the home with additional personnel. A female occupant was found inside the structure and brought out by crews. She was transported by Ely Area Ambulance to Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Two family dogs also died in the fire, authorities said.

As operations continued, Incident Command received information suggesting a second person might be inside. Multiple additional searches were conducted but ultimately confirmed that no one else was in the home. Fire crews remained on scene to fully extinguish the blaze and begin salvage and overhaul efforts, including checking for fire extension into the walls and attic.

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The fire did not spread to nearby structures and no injuries to emergency personnel were reported.

Assisting agencies included the Ely Police Department, Ely Area Ambulance Service, Babbitt Fire, Morse-Fall Lake Fire and the Saint Louis County Sheriff’s Office. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Ely Fire, Ely Police and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office. The identity of the victim and additional details will be released when available.

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