One Dead in House Fire on Peterson Lake Road North of Bemidji

A person was found dead after a large residential fire Monday night in the 12000 block of Peterson Lake Road NE in Port Hope Township, about 15 miles north of Bemidji, according to a Bemidji Fire Department press release. Fire crews were dispatched at about 8:47 p.m. and discovered the home fully involved when they arrived.

Firefighters described the structure as a "large residential structure" that was "completely consumed by fire" and "had collapsed into the basement." After crews extinguished the flames, they located one deceased individual inside the home, and officials reported the building and its contents were a total loss.

The Bemidji Fire Department said it initiated a defensive attack and deployed a 1 3/4-inch attack line to begin extinguishing the fire, then added further 1 3/4-inch lines as additional crews arrived. Lakeland News and the Bemidji Pioneer reported a total of 28 firefighters and 11 pieces of equipment were on scene, and crews remained at the site for around six hours to bring the blaze under control. No firefighter injuries were reported.

Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, the Bemidji Pioneer reported, including Bemidji Ambulance Service, North Country First Responders, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, Beltrami Electric Cooperative, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshals Office. The scale of the response and the involvement of the state fire marshal suggest authorities are treating the incident as a major structural loss while they determine next steps.

Local reports do not list any other survivors or injured people from the Port Hope Township fire. Officials told reporters the incident "remains under investigation" and have not provided a cause for the fire or released the identity of the person found deceased. The Bemidji Fire Department press release is the primary source of operational details cited by local outlets.

The loss of a home 15 miles north of Bemidji and the extended six-hour operation underscore rural emergency-response demands in Beltrami County, where volunteers and municipal crews often coordinate across townships. The presence of the Beltrami Electric Cooperative and ambulance partners on scene highlights the cross-agency work required after a total-loss residential fire.

Authorities with the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshals Office are listed as assisting in the investigation; officials have not announced additional details. The Bemidji Fire Department release and local reporters say they will provide updates if and when officials release the cause of the fire or the identity of the deceased.