Fire at Auto Salvage South of Bemidji Injures Two

One person was severely burned and a firefighter was also injured after a massive fire at an auto salvage facility just south of Bemidji today.

Firefighters arrived on the scene just after one this afternoon at Mike’s Auto Salvage in Hubbard County’s Helga Township. According to Bemidji fire chief Justin Sherwood, the civilian suffered severe burns to his arms and torso, and the firefighter escaped with just minor injuries.

Firefighters first on the scene were unable to establish any type of interior attack on the fire due to the fire conditions. They then called in mutual aid partners for additional resources due to the size of the fire. More than 50 firefighters from eight different departments, along with 19 pieces of equipment, were on-site battling the blaze, but in the end, the building and its contents were a total loss.

Fire officials at the scene tell Lakeland News they have an idea of how the fire started, but are still investigating the scene.