Crews responded to a fire at the retired Taconite Harbor Energy Center Tuesday afternoon, August 6 in Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. A call came in just after 11 a.m. on the report that smoke could be seen near Schroeder. The caller stated that black smoke was coming from the middle by the lakeside in between the dock and the building.

According to Amy Rutledge, director of corporate communications with ALLETE/Minnesota Power, the facility has been retired.

“We are decommissioning and working on dismantling,” explained Rutledge. “There was some work on a conveyor belt outside, which caught on fire, is not impacting the building itself.“

Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames after about an hour and a half. The smoke could be seen along the shoreline.

No injuries were reported.

Lutsen, Tofte, and Silver Bay fire departments responded to the scene.