Late-night Greenwood Township fire destroys cabin, displaces residents

A late-night fire near Westhaven Drive in Greenwood Township destroyed a cabin and damaged several nearby structures, forcing residents out of their homes and sending one adult woman to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

First responders were dispatched around 10:45 p.m. on May 22, and the scene quickly grew into a multi-agency response. Firefighters from several departments, EMS crews and St. Louis County deputies worked the fire after it spread into nearby trees and threatened additional buildings before crews brought it under control. The cabin was reported as a total loss.

The human toll was immediate. Several people were displaced by the blaze and transported to Fortune Bay Resort and Casino for the night, a reminder of how quickly a fire in a rural part of St. Louis County can turn into an emergency housing and shelter problem. Four dogs are also believed to have been lost in the fire, adding to the personal loss for the people affected.

The cause has not been identified. The case remains under investigation by the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, whose office helps fire departments across Minnesota by investigating fires, educating the public on fire safety and conducting fire safety inspections. The sheriff’s office says Sheriff Gordon Ramsay oversees about 290 staff members across eight divisions, a structure that helps explain why a Greenwood Township fire can draw law enforcement, rescue and emergency response resources so quickly.

The fire also fits a familiar pattern in Greenwood Township and across northern St. Louis County, where cabins, trees and limited access can make containment difficult once flames start moving. On May 8, 2025, another Greenwood Township cabin fire was traced to a campfire that spread into nearby woods. On Jan. 14, 2026, a separate cabin fire on Meads Island at Lake Vermilion destroyed a home after a caretaker had started the furnace before leaving, and investigators said that fire was not considered suspicious at the time.

St. Louis County has also been dealing with a run of fire responses this spring, including a Lakewood Township structure fire and a structure fire south of Eveleth. For Greenwood Township, the latest blaze showed again how a single fire can trigger evacuation, mutual aid and overnight displacement in minutes, especially when flames reach the trees around a cabin before crews can fully box them in.