Gunflint Fire Department experiences a busy winter and reacts to stuck vehicle on the snowmobile Trail

They were a few busy weeks and an overall busy winter for the voluntary Gunflint Fire Department.

“This seems to have been the busiest winter that we have had in relation to rescues, ambulances and fires for some time,” said Jim Morrison, fire chief of Gunflint Fire Department.

Morrison said that winter was usually a “pretty quiet time”, but in the past few weeks of first aiders and volunteers within the department, a car fire on Sag Lake Trail, which threatened a nearby house, have a injured person who needed medical means of transport, and two people who drive down a snowmobile path after driving their Subaru.

“There are many people up here at the moment. Snowmobile is good. Cross-Country skiing is good. So you only have a lot more people and then they seem to have more incidents, ”said Morrison. “I attributed it to it anyway.”

The rescue of the two people from Woodbury, Minnesota, who drove about a mile in a Subaru a snowmobile path, occurred on Saturday, February 22nd. The Cook County's office received the call from a member of the party at 1:53 p.m. and said they were on the Blueberry RD near Greenwood Lake and could not be emitted.

The BlueBerry RD, which is about 16 miles up the Gunflint Trail, is not plowed in winter and instead used for snowmobile traffic.

According to the sheriff's office, the people stated that they no longer had gasoline, and one had cold feet and possibly frostbite than they were wearing crocs.

After receiving the call, Morrison said the available volunteers and first aiders began to load snowmobiles, fill gas cans and grab the necessary equipment and equipment.

Since the people reported that one of them had frosted frosties, the fire brigade of the Gunflint fire brigade and the rescue workers were visited. According to Morrison, about eight people reacted to the call, two of whom were in the responding ambulance. The crews then drove three snowmobiles about a mile down the Blueberry RD to the stuck individuals.

“Both parties were actually okay,” said Morrison. The person who wore crocs had no freezing. The temperature on February 22nd was in the mid -30s according to the National Weather Service.

Morrison said the first aiders had a few boots and additional clothing available. “She had a lot of clothing. But we did it because she was essentially barefoot at that time. I think she was essentially wearing cotton socks and crocs. So they were completely soaked. “

The first aiders tried not to promote the vehicle, but were unsuccessful. The responding deputy of the Cook County Sheriff, then called the North Coast Towing. Morrison said they put the two people on the snowmobile and brought them back to the intersection of Greenwood Lake RD to wait for the tow truck.

Morrison said the people told him that they were in Grand Marais for the day and drive streets to Elch. “And so they went to the Blueberry Rd.”

Despite the costly shattering, Morrison said it was “a good result”, and it was all okay to everyone.

According to the sheriff's report, the driver informed the answering MP Mark Buckman that she had been on the road in the past and thought it was open all year round. In the report, he said that he did not quote the driver, but that her shattering should deter future driving behavior.

While the driver covers the invoice for towing, all other associated costs for the search and rescue or the fire brigade are not covered.

Although the fuel expenses for the trip were minimal, said Morrison. Maintaining snowmobile and reacting vehicles that are used in every responding call is costs. “I don't know how to measure the costs for it.”

“The fire brigade is all voluntary. Therefore, we would bear additional costs for voluntary costs, ”he said. “There is no reimbursement of the fire brigade for these activities.”

“This is part of our responsibility as a emergency services and fire brigade,” said Morrison. “This is part of what we do.”

Kalli Hawkins from WTIP spoke to the fire chief of Gunflint Fire Department, Jim Morrison, about the incident of February 22nd and the resources and the staff that is necessary to react to such a call. Morrison also emphasized the busy winter that the volunteer fire brigade experienced. The audio from the interview is below.