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Fatal Early-morning House Fire in Maple Grove
The Maple Grove house fire that we reported earlier this morning has turned deadly. Crews spent hours combing the debris before finding the body of the home’s sole occupants.
At 3:50 a.m., Maple Grove Stations 2 and 3 were dispatched to a report of a structure fire in the 9700 block of Union Terrace Lane. As units went enroute, they could see an orange glow and column of smoke. Stations 1 and 4 and mutual aid were received from Osseo and Anoka-Champlin.
Engine 31 went on scene at 3:58 a.m with fire showing from the two-story, split-level home. Captain 31 assumed command of the fire.
Maple Grove Chief 1, Scott Anderson, arrived at the same time. “The fire was coming from all windows on all sides of the home,” Anderson told TwinCitiesFireWire.com.
Engine 31 secured a water supply from a nearby hydrant and deployed their deck gun. The crew deployed a portable Blitz Fire master stream to the front of the home.
“We would never have been able to make an interior attack,” said Anderson. “Much of the home had already collapsed.”
Second arriving Engine 21 secured a secondary water supply and positioned their apparatus to use the deck gun to knock down the heavy fire conditions.
“After eight minutes, the fire was knocked down,” Anderson said.
They deployed hoselines to knock down the pockets of fire that remained in the smoke shell of the home.
“We were pretty sure that someone was inside the house and couldn’t make it out,” Anderson said. “There was two cars in the driveway and nobody met us when we arrived.”
Firefighters remained on scene for hours to douse hot spots and help search the rubble for any victims. A backhoe was used to lift the heavy debris.
Around 11:30, crews found the body of the occupant and investigators moved in. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s office and Maple Grove police are investigaing the fire.
Anderson said “It’ll take a few days to nail down the cause of the fire.”
- Assignment: Maple Grove Engines 21, 31, Ladders 21 and 31, Tower 41, Rescue 41, Air Unit, Chiefs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, Osseo Tanker 11, Anoka-Champlin: one engine and one ladder, North Memorial ambulance
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Crews Search for Missing Occupant at Maple Grove Blaze
Crews are searching for a missing resident following an early-morning house fire in Maple Grove Monday morning.
Both KSTP and KARE 11 are reporting that 4 a.m. house fire, in the 9700 block of Union Terrace Lane, consumed the two-story home, leaving a large pile of debris.
The fire department has told local media that the home was occupied at the fire was reported, but the resident has not been found.
“The house has caved in so we’re going to have to lift the debris off and go in do a systematic search,” Maple Grove Chief Scott Anderson told KARE 11.
More than 60 firefighters from Maple Grove and Osseo were at the scene this morning.
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Video: Forest Lake House Fire
We now have some video available from the Dec. 1 house fire on Elston Street in Forest Lake.
Read the original post here.
Thank you to Kristi Wenzel for the video.
Twin Cities Fire Wire 