Fire damages light fixture, siding, at Isak Hansen’s Hardware

An emergency page went out to the Lutsen and Tofte fire departments and the North Shore Ambulance at 5:11 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. A caller had reported seeing smoke coming from the Isak Hansen Hardware store.

The first Lutsen firefighter on the scene reported smoke coming out of a light fixture on the upper part of the two-story building, but no fire. There were remnants of a burned lightbulb on the ground.

Lutsen firefighters erected ladders to reach the light fixture and removed a sign below the light to find that the siding was smoldering. The Tofte Fire Department arrived with its ladder truck and assisted. Firefighters worked together to remove the siding and discovered a small fire in the building’s insulation.

Lutsen Fire Chief Paul Goettl said the siding and insulation covered a cinderblock wall, so firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames.

Firefighters entered the store to ensure there was no smoke and fire inside the building and there was not. Goettl said the only damage to the interior of the building was some water that came through while the exterior fire was being extinguished.
Once the fire was extinguished, the Lutsen Fire Department used its thermal imaging camera to ensure there were no “hot spots.”

The fire was out and all emergency responders were clear of the scene by 6:15 p.m.

Rhonda Silence March 29, 2021