One person suffered smoke inhalation and a firefighter was bit by a dog rescued from a burning Duluth duplex Sunday.
Firefighters responded to the fire at 2026 W. Fourth St. shortly before 8 p.m. When they arrived, they found the first-floor resident outside the building suffering from smoke inhalation. The resident thought the second-floor occupant and his dog were trapped in the building. Heavy black smoke was coming from the rear door and windows of the duplex.
Fire crews entered the building and searched the second floor. They rescued a large dog but found no people in the apartment. One firefighter was injured during the animal rescue when he received bite wounds to his hand while trying to secure the dog to a fence outside the home.
The fire on the first floor was quickly knocked down. The first floor suffered heavy flame, heat and smoke damage; the second floor received only minor smoke damage. The total damage is estimated at $60,000.
The Duluth Fire Marshall's Office is investigating to determine the fire's cause.
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DEDA seeks residents to serve
The city of Duluth is seeking residents interested in serving on the Duluth Economic Development Authority.
The reconstituted body will comprise four mayor-appointed volunteer citizen commissioners and three city councilors. Citizen commissioners will serve for a term of six years.
The authority meets at 5 p.m. on the first Monday of every month.
Applications are available at www.duluthmn.gov and will be accepted through July 3.
Great Lakes coal shipments down
Just more than 3.6 million tons of coal was shipped on the Great Lakes in May, a 17.4 percent drop from May 2008, according to numbers released Monday by the Lake Carriers' Association.
Only Midwest Energy Terminal in Superior saw an increase over the amount of coal shipped during May 2008: 2.4 million tons this May compared to 2.3 million tons last year. The amount of coal Superior shipped year-to-date, however, decreased nearly 14 percent, from 5.6 million to 4.9 million tons.
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Coal shipments on the Great Lakes as a whole stand at 7.3 million tons, a decrease of 35 percent compared to a year ago.
Southbound Tower Avenue closed today
Both southbound lanes of Tower Avenue in Superior will be closed at the 1500 block today from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Southbound traffic will be moved to one of the road's northbound lanes.
The closure is necessary to allow Superior Water, Light and Power Company workers to install a six-inch water line.
