Iron County Historical Museum closed after boiler melts wiring

By CHARITY SMITH

[email protected]

Hurley - The Iron County Historical Museum remains closed after boiler wiring melted on Feb. 21.

"We had a near disaster," said Juliette Kangas of the Iron County Historical Society. "All the electrical board, everything in it melted."

According to Kangas, Tony Mukavitz, of Mukavitz Heating, in Ironwood, told them that it was a miracle the building did not burn down.

The melted wiring was discovered when four volunteer workers, Joyce Starck, Ellice Wallom, Delores Genisot and Ginger Benninghoff arrived to open the museum. The group noticed a strange haze filling the break-room as they went to make their morning coffee and went downstairs to check for the cause.

"At first sight, it didn't look like anything was wrong," Kangas said. "But, when they opened the door to the wiring of the boiler, everything was melted."

The boiler was 26 years old and the cause of the sudden melted wiring is unknown, Kangas said. There was no harm to the building or damage to museum items.

The original museum boiler was coal and at some point the building was fitted for a steam boiler, said Kristin Kolesar, museum board member. The new boiler being installed is also a steam boiler because it would not be cost-effective to refit the entire building for a modern heating system.

The museum is working with the insurer. The boiler crisis occurred at a time when the museum is fundraising for a roof repair.

The Museum hopes to reopen to the public in the next couple of weeks.