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Tuesday House Fire in Nebagamon Linked To Wednesday Shooting Incident

10/30/2014

Lake Nebagamon VFD was called to 11711E CTH B in downtown Lake Nebagamon on Tuesday evening at 7:32pm after neighbors reported seeing flames coming from the windows.

Two neighbors (one a retired Douglas County deputy) entered the residence and located 22 yr old Jessica Gehl unconscious in a bedroom.  She was initially not breathing when they removed her from the smoke filled house, but began coughing when they opened her airway.

She was transported to a Duluth Hospital by Gold Cross.

The fire was found to have originated in the living room, on a sofa.  No sources of ignition were noted in this area; the cause of the fire was initially classified as undetermined.

Gehl was released from the hospital during the early morning hours of Wednesday Oct 29.  She went to her parents’ house in Lake Nebagamon where she slept until the early afternoon.  The situation there deteriorated into the shooting incident as previously reported.

Gehl remains in a Duluth hospital under a 72 hour mental health hold.  Charges are pending.

The deputy involved, Detective Brad Hoyt, a twenty year veteran of the sheriff’s office, is on administrative leave per policy and standard protocol.  Policy also dictates an officer involved shooting incident will be investigated by an uninvolved, outside law enforcement agency.  This incident remains under investigation by the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office.