---

   Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk reports that on Tuesday January 27, 2026 at 10:01 p.m. the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a structure fire in a unit at the Whispering Pines Motel located on Hwy 2 in Pike Bay Township, rural Cass Lake, MN. Responders arrived and found at least one unit fully engulfed in fire. Firefighters from the Cass Lake Fire Department and the Bemidji Fire Department worked to extinguish the fire. There are no reported injuries from the incident, at this time the number of units involved, and extent of damage is unknown. The incident remains under investigation with the assistance of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. 

---