Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
AN INVESTIGATOR walks toward the burned-out structure at 102 E. Aurora St. in Ironwood Thursday. City, state and federal personnel are searching for additional potential victims and investigating the cause of Wednesday's fire that destroyed two buildings in downtown Ironwood.
IRONWOOD — Another body has been found in the aftermath of Wednesday's fire in downtown Ironwood, bringing the total number of fatalities to three.
The body was the second recovered Thursday, according to Ironwood Public Safety Director Gregory Klecker.
“There are no more remaining persons unaccounted for that we know of,” Klecker said in a press release Friday.
The fire began in 102 E. Aurora St. — the home of Chelsi’s Corner boutique and a number of apartments on the upper floors — early Wednesday morning, with the department responding to reports of the fire at 3:49 a.m.
Ironwood and Hurley fire departments battled the flames through much of Wednesday, eventually containing the fire to 102 E. Aurora and the adjoining storefront at 104 E. Aurora, and preventing it from spreading further down the block. Numerous other agencies and groups assisted the effort in various ways.
Three people were rescued from second and third floor windows during the fire and taken to Aspirus Ironwood Hospital.
Klecker said Thursday he didn’t have their medical information but he understood they were in good condition.
The first confirmed death from the fire was announced Wednesday as someone pulled from the scene was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The department has identified two of the three victims, Klecker said Friday, and an autopsy is scheduled to determine the identify of the third.
The names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of their families.
