Ely house fire causes $75,000 damage, firefighter suffers minor injury
Crews from Ely and Babbitt stopped a Sunday attic fire on East Washington Street, but the blaze still caused about $75,000 in damage and injured one firefighter.
A Sunday afternoon house fire in Ely drew crews from Ely and Babbitt to the 500 block of East Washington Street and was held to the attic space above the kitchen, but not before causing about $75,000 in damage. One firefighter suffered a minor injury during the response, while Ely Ambulance Service stood by on scene and the Ely Police Department assisted.
The call came in around 4 p.m., and firefighters kept the blaze from spreading beyond the attic area above the kitchen, limiting what could have become a far larger loss. Even with the quick stop, the fire left the home with a significant repair bill and likely a period of disruption for the people who live there.
The Ely Fire Department said the fire was electrical in nature, giving investigators an early direction as they look at what started the blaze. No serious civilian injuries were reported, and the attic containment suggests crews reached the fire before it could fully involve the rest of the house.
The scene also showed how small-town fire response works in St. Louis County when a house fire breaks out. Ely and Babbitt crews worked together, with police and ambulance personnel adding backup where needed. That kind of coordination is built into Minnesota’s mutual-aid system, which lets fire chiefs quickly bring in nearby departments for major fires and other emergencies.
The Sunday fire was not the first recent Ely-area house blaze to pull in extra help. In November 2025, crews from Ely, Babbitt and Morse-Fall Lake responded to a separate house fire in Ely. In April 2026, another Ely fire on East Harvey Street was also contained to the attic, with two people evaluated and four cats rescued.
Ely Fire Department activity from 2025 underscores how often local responders are already stretched across fire and medical calls. The department reported 391 total events last year, including 62 fire calls and 279 medical responses. In a community where the same crews handle both emergencies and mutual aid, a fire that starts in an attic can quickly become a full-scale multi-agency operation.
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