Photo courtesy Rainy Lake Gazette

A houseboat rental business on Rainy Lake has been destroyed by fire.

The blaze at Northernaire Houseboats, about ten kilometres east of International Falls, happened just after 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

A building serving as the business office and home was fully engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived on the scene.

International Falls Fire Department, with assistance from Littlefork Volunteer Fire Department, International Falls Ambulance Services, and Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office, responded.

It took firefighters more than three hours to bring the fire under control.

Officials say a portion of the building was an older log structure that made the fire exceptionally hot and difficult to battle.

Two people were taken to Rainy Lake Medical Center.

One was later moved to a higher-level trauma facility and was last listed in critical condition.

The other person was receiving treatment at Rainy Lake Medical Center and identified as being in stable condition.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Minnesota Fire Marshall’s Office.