A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A house fire Tuesday morning left the occupant seriously injured and the house badly damaged. Firefighters were on the scene for three hours.
An early morning house fire in Cloquet left one person injured and caused serious damage to a home on the 100 block of 15th Street.
The Cloquet Area Fire District (CAFD) was dispatched to a report of a structure fire at 120 15th street in Cloquet at 06:41 a.m. Tuesday. First arriving units found a two-story residential structure with heavy fire showing from the main floor windows on two sides. An occupant was outside the structure but had sustained serious injuries exiting the fire.
CAFD Stations 1, 2, and 3 responded and mutual aid was requested from the Carlton Fire Department and Ambulance to assist with fire suppression and transport of the injured occupant to a local hospital. Three animals were found deceased during a search of the home as well.
According to CAFD Chief Kevin Schroeder, the main fire was knocked down quickly with an aggressive interior attack by initial arriving crews. However, prolonged overhaul was required to access and completely extinguish the fire within the walls of the home.
Schroeder said the kitchen was completely gutted by fire and the fire extended into the walls traveling up to the second story. The home sustained extensive fire damage to the main floor with heat and smoke damage throughout the second level. Damage is estimated at $170,000 to the structure and contents.
Approximately 25 firefighters were on scene for three hours. The CAFD Fire Investigation Team is working with the State Fire Marshall's Office to determine the cause of the fire. The Occupant sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
In a press release, Schroeder stressed that residential fires increase in the winter.
"With the holidays rapidly approaching, the CAFD would like to remind everyone to make sure you have working smoke detectors on all levels of your home, never leave cooking unattended, and to stay fire safe around Christmas trees and decorations," he wrote, adding that the CAFD offers free Home Safety Visits with free smoke alarms and installation.
