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Updated: Lightning May Have Sparked Andover Fire
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We have added additional photos and a video. No new details are available as of Friday night.
June 3 – A house fire in Andover on Friday morning may have been sparked by lightning as a small storm moved through the metro.
Andover fire crews were called to 2505 153rd Ln. about 9:30 a.m. for a report of a home struck by lightning. The Anoka County auto aid was alerted as well.
Chief 3 went on scene with light smoke showing from the roof of the 2 1/2-story dwelling.
Firefighters climbed ground ladders and stretched a hoseline to the roof near the attic to open up the area where damage was visible.
For a brief time, as firefighters opened the voids, a moderate amount of smoke showing.
Ham Lake, Anoka-Champlin, Oak Grove and Ramsey crews were on scene. An engine from Coon Rapids covered Andover while crews were at the scene.
Twin Cities Fire Wire will update this story when more information is available.
Ramsey Dwelling Fire Extinguished Quickly
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MAY 19 – Ramsey Fire crews, along with Anoka County Auto Aid, were dispatched to the 15000 Block of Willemite Street at around 2:20 p.m. today.
First arriving units reported smoke showing and deployed pre-connected handlines to the structure, quickly knocking down the fire.
A drop tank was set up as this area has no hydrants; however, due to the quick knockdown of the fire, water shuttles were not needed.
The Auto Aid brought fire crews from Andover, Oak Grove and Anoka-Champlin to the scene.
Twin Cities Fire Wire will update this story when more information is available.
Inver Grove Heights Fire Injures Resident
May 10 – Firefighters from the south metro battled a late-night house fire in Inver Grove Heights that left one resident with injuries on Tuesday.
Inver Grove Heights (IGH) firefighters were called to a house fire in the 10300 block of Barnes Way at 11:42 p.m. Eagan (EFD) was also dispatched on an auto-aid.
IGH Chief 1 and Eagan Chief 5 arrived to find flames leaping high from the roof of the garage attached to a one-story rambler home. “The flames must have been over 20 feet high when we got there,” Inver Grove Heights Chief Judy Thill told Twin Cities Fire Wire.
The only occupant of the home had evacuated and was being tended to by a HealthEast Ambulance crew.
Arriving together, IGH Engine 11 set up for fire attack and Eagan Engine/Tanker 5 set up for water supply.
Using handlines, Engine 11’s crews began a defensive attack on the garage. Once the heavy volume of fire was knocked down, Thill said crews moved inside the home to cut off the fire extension.
The home is located in an area with no hydrants.
Firefighters set up two drop tanks and EFD Engine 5 started to siphon water from the tanks. IGH Tankers 14 and 36 arrived and dumped their tanks before proceeding to the fill site at city hall, almost three miles away.
Mutual aid was called from Mendota Heights and Rosemount for additional tankers.
Inside the home, crews pulled ceilings to access the fire. “The crews did a great job of getting to the fire inside the attic and stopped it about half-way through the home.”
Thill said the home was suffered heavy smoke and water damage and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The last crews left the scene just after 2:30 a.m.
A crew from South Metro Fire was called first respond on a medical call during the fire.
Click here for aftermath photos from Inver Grove Heights Patch.
Updated: Fire Breaks out at Anoka Recycling Plant
May 3 – We’ve got an update on yesterday’s recycling plant fire in Anoka.
Anoka-Champlin (ACFD) Fire Chief 2 arrived to find heavy black smoke and fire in a two-story high shredding machine at Alter Recycling at 2905 N. Ferry St. The machine was used to shred vehicles. KSTP-TV’s helicopter footage shows the severity of the smoke and flames when firefighters arrived.
The Anoka County automatic aid policy brought Andover and Ramsey units when ACFD was dispatched.
ACFD Engine 3 arrived and stretched two handlines. Using the on-board foam system firefighters flowed a foam and water mixture onto the raging fire, Anoka-Champlin Fire Chief Charlie Thompson told Twin Cities Fire Wire.
Chief 1 assumed command and worked with ACFD Chief 2, Andover Chief 1, Maple Grove Chief 4 and Ramsey Chief 1. Command requested mutual aid from Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove fire departments.
Engine 11 arrived and assisted Engine 3 with dousing the fire.
Aerial 21 worked with Andover and Ramsey crews to suppress the fire, which was brought under control in less than 30 minutes.
According to Thompson, the fire began on the conveyer belt of the machine after it came in contact with a hot piece of metal.
Maple Grove firefighters covered ACFD Station 1 and Brooklyn Center crews covered ACFD station 2.
Crews Find Hole in Floor While Battling Richfield House Fire
April 30 – Richfield firefighters found a large hole in the floor as they searched for the seat of the fire at a house fire late on Saturday night.
At 11:44 p.m. crews were dispatched to a 9-1-1 call reporting smoke from a building in the 6500 block of Portland Ave. S. Firefighters from Richfield, with automatic aid from Bloomington, the Metropolitan Airports Commission and Minneapolis were placed on the assignment.
Richfield Quint 1 and Rescue 1 arrived to heavy smoke from the second floor and chimney of the 1 1/2-story home. The home was unoccupied at the time.
Quint 1 assumed command and assigned Rescue 1’s crew to an interior attack from the A-side of the home. Richfield Engine 2 laid a supply line to Quint 1 and pulled a backup hoseline.
Rescue 1’s crew made entry. “Approximately five feet into the structure, they found a six-foot by six-foot hole in the living room floor,” according to Assistant Chief Wayne Kewitsch. The found danger was relayed to all units on the scene.
“Had they gone in gangbusters, they would have fallen through the floor and we would be discussing injured firefighters, not just a house fire,” Kewitsch old Twin Cities Fire Wire.
Minneapolis Chief 2 was assigned to the interior Minneapolis Engine 12 was assigned to primary searches of the first and second floors. Minneapolis Ladder 5 was assigned to search the basement.
MAC Engine 32 Richfield Engine 2 took the backup hoseline to the basement of the home.
Bloomington Chief 4 was assigned as safety officer. Bloomington Chief 7 established the on-deck group. Bloomington Ladder 3 was assigned to perform the secondary searches of the entire structure.
Minneapolis Ladder 5 and Bloomington Engine 1 teamed up to check for extension. Kewitsch said the crews performed extensive overhaul of the basement ceiling.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
- Assignment: Richfield Quint 1, Engine 2, Rescue 1 and Chiefs 1 and 2. Auto-aid: Bloomington Engine 1, Ladder 3 and Chiefs 4 and 7, MAC Engine 32, Minneapolis Engine 12, Ladder 5 and Chief 2, Hennepin EMS
Updated: Mutual Aid Called to Maplewood Blaze
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This story was updated on Monday morning with additional details, photos and a video.
May 1 – Fire crews from the North metro were called to a house fire in Maplewood on Sunday evening.
Fire crews were dispatched to 1475 Sherren Ave. — which runs parallel to Highway 36 — around 7:15 p.m. Automatic aid policies also brought one engine from Little Canada and one engine from North St. Paul.
Maplewood Engine 3 arrived to find heavy fire and black smoke from the C/D-corner of the one-story home. The crew quickly deployed a 2 1 /2-inch hoseline to knock down the fire on the exterior. Maplewood Fire Chief Steve Lukin said the dense black smoke came from the porch and exterior of the home.
“The fire broke through two windows in the kitchen,” Lukin told Twin Cities Fire Wire.
A 1 1/2-inch hoseline was deployed to the interior of the home and it was held to the kitchen. The interior of the home suffered smoke damage.
The fire was placed under control in about 20 minutes.
Lakeview EMS was on scene for standby, but no injuries were reported.
Lukin said the fire started near the porch on the C-side of the home, but the exact cause is still under investigation.
Mounds View Dwelling Fire Quickly Contained
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April 25 – Spring Lake Park – Blaine – Mounds View (SBM) Fire crews were called to a laundry room fire in a single family dwelling on Monday morning.
Police officers were the first to arrive and reported smoke showing from the dwelling located on the 5200 block of Long Lake Road in Mounds View.
SBM Chief 5 arrived and confirmed smoke showing and assigned crews to an offensive strategy.
The crew of SBM Engine 1 stretched a 1 3/4-inch line through the front door of the structure and quickly brought to the fire under control. SBM Ladder 17 Fridley Engine 3 began ventilation and overhaul.
A nearby water supply was established, but it was not needed.
Twin Cities Fire Wire will update this story when more information is available.
Fire Damages Centerville Home
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Centennial Fire District Photo
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This story was updated on Friday morning.
April 14 – Centennial Fire crews made a quick knock down at a dwelling fire located in Centerville Thursday afternoon.
The initial call, at 11:56 a.m., came from a neighbor who reported smoke coming from the back of a home in the 1900 block of Robin Lane S.
When firefighters arrived at the one-story modular home, they had heavy fire showing from a crawl space and a hole in the back of the home, Chief Jerry Streich told Twin Cities Fire Wire.
There are no hydrants in the area, so tankers were requested to the scene.
Crews deployed handlines and quickly extinguished the fire.
Streich said crews performed extensive overhaul of the structure and snuffed several spot fires in the attic and underside of the structure.
The home was unoccupied and undergoing renovations for a new owner.
Streich said the fire was accidental. He said “a high wattage halogen lamp left in the ‘on’ position was the likely cause of this fire. ”
Mutual aid was received from  Forest Lake, Hugo, and Lexington fire crews.
Brooklyn Park House Fire Called ‘Suspicious’
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April 11 – Officials say that Monday’s fire that heavily damaged a Brooklyn Park home is suspicious.
Brooklyn Park and West Metro crews were dispatched to 6633 Kentucky Ave. at 9:03 p.m.
The first unit arrived to find the one-story, 1,500-square-foot dwelling well involved in fire. The home was close to the end of a dirt road which was a dead-end.
The first engine arrived and deployed a master stream to the blazing structure and also pulled a line to protect the exposure on the D-side.
Crews encountered water supply issues when they first arrived, because the closest hydrant was over 1,000 feet away, according to Deputy Fire Chief Todd Seitz.
Firefighters focused on protecting the exposures and controlling the heavy volume of fire coming from the structure.
The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes.
The Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team was called to assist with the investigation. Seitz said the fire is suspicious and that officials are looking for a vehicle that left the area prior to the fire being discovered.
Plymouth Engine 21 and Osseo Tanker 11 with Chief 1 covered the city.
- Assignment: Brooklyn Park Engines 12, 21, 31, 41, Aerial 21, Rescue 31 Chiefs 1, 2, 3, 21 and 31. Mutual aid: West Metro Chief 11 and Aerial 11, Brooklyn Center Engine 3 and Salvage and Maple Grove Aerial 11.
Twin Cities Fire Wire 