Illegal Firework Sparks Explosion Scare Near Duluth – Sheriff Investigating

A loud explosion on Wednesday night in Fredenberg Township prompted several residents to dial 911, the Sheriff now believes they know what caused the calls.

At around 8:30 PM on Wednesday, December 6th, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office responded to calls with multiple units and investigated what callers described as "a brief flash of light followed by a loud explosion."

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says no other calls were received that evening and that responding officers were unable to find the source of the reported explosion.

Property Owner Finds Possible Source of Explosion

On Thursday, December 7th, around 1:30 PM, 911 got a call from a property owner in Fredenberg Township claiming to have found the source of the explosion, responding officers reported finding a "metal pipe, or launch tube erected on the property."

So What Caused The Explosion?

The property told officers that the tube or pipe wasn't on the property the previous day, officers noted that the found tube was "possibly the handle of a broom or something similar, that had evidence of charring around the top of it."

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says, "The evidence strongly suggests that this item was used to ignite some sort of aerial firework. No other evidence was discovered that would suggest this was anything other than an illegal firework."

The investigation into this incident continues and anyone with information is asked to call 911 or The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Minnesota State Fire Marshall, "Any fireworks that are explosive plus any fireworks that are aerial" are illegal in Minnesota. This includes firecrackers, skyrockets, missile-type rockets, Roman candles, aerial shells, and bottle rockets.