Overview
- Deputies arrested a 48-year-old resident near Orr at his home after a firefighting plane was struck by gunfire while scooping water over a wildfire in Portage Township.
- Crews discovered the damage only after the single‑engine aircraft returned safely to Hibbing Airport, and no injuries were reported.
- Deputies serving a search warrant at the home seized firearms and ammunition, and authorities have not explained how they identified the suspect.
- The FBI and federal aviation officials are assisting the investigation, and local authorities say they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public.
- The reported shooting occurred as crews tackled numerous wildland fires across St. Louis County, with a separate destructive fire burning in neighboring Lake County near Two Harbors.