House a total loss after fire

The Cloquet Area Fire District responded to a house fire in Stoney Brook Township northwest of Cloquet Monday evening, but the home was already fully engulfed by fire when firefighters arrived.

CAFD Chief Kevin Schroeder said CAFD units and the Industrial Volunteer Fire Department were paged by St. Louis County dispatch after Culver and Arrowhead Volunteer Fire Departments did not initially respond.

"The roof had already collapsed when we got there," said CAFD captain Jeremy Hutchinson, noting that the home was located in a fairly remote area. "It had been burning for quite a while. I'm guessing by the time anyone saw and called it in, it was pretty well gone."

The home was a total loss, and the state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Hutchinson said CAFD and Industrial firefighters were on the scene for about three-and-a-half hours and extinguished the fire, and then a member of the Culver volunteer fire department stayed to finish the job.

No one was injured in the fire. The homeowner was not there, Hutchinson said.