Trio of fires strikes Cloquet

Fire crews with the Cloquet Area Fire District had a busy 30-hour window last week, dealing with three fire calls starting at 5 p.m. Thursday and ending with a third at 11 p.m. Friday.

The most serious fire call came in at about 3:30 on Friday, Dec. 2. Occupants of a home on the 100 block of Third Street reported there was a fire on the second floor. They heard smoke alarms and exited the house, but four cats remained inside. Fire crews rescued the cats, and all were deemed in good condition. A woman who was in the home went to the hospital to deal with smoke inhalation. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries at the scene. The fire was quickly extinguished but there was extensive damage. The fire was deemed accidental.

The spate of fire calls began just after 5 p.m. on Thursday, when a call came in about an accidental stove fire at a home on Fourth Street. The caller said it was out but wanted firefighters to make sure. Crews cleared the “moderate” smoke created by the fire and the residents were able to reoccupy the home.

The final of the three calls came at 11 p.m. Friday from a resident on the 1700 block of Fairview Avenue. The resident was alerted by a fire alarm and believed there was a fire in the wall of a bathroom. Firefighters reported light smoke and quickly extinguished the fire. The fire was deemed accidental.