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Updated: Woodbury Apartment Fire Leaves 5 Injured
This story was updated on Tuesday morning.
June 19 – Five people were injured in a mid-morning fire in Woodbury on Sunday.
Woodbury Public Safety crews were called to a kitchen fire at 6841 Ashwood Rd., in the Woodland Pointe Apartments.
Public Safety Officer/Firefighter 667 arrived to find heavy smoke from the top floor of the three-story building. Officer 667 and Officer/Medic 639 began evacuating residents. While enroute, Chief 2201 called for mutual aid from Maplewood and Oakdale.
The building, of wood-frame construction, features 12 apartments, with four on each floor. The building consists of three addresses, 6841, 6825 and 6809 Ashwood, and measures 50 by 300 feet. The fire unit has a common wall with a unit in the 6825 building.
Engine 2246 arrived and set up positive pressure operations and stretched a 1 3/4-inch attack line with Class A Foam, according to Emergency Services Commander Mike Richardson. The crews made sure that all units were empty and then began fire attack on the third floor.
Chief 2201 assumed command on his arrival. Engine 2255 laid a supply line from the hydrants to 2246 as police officers evacuated the 6825 and 6809 buildings.
Richardson said the fire was contained to the unit of origin and the crews flowed less than 750 gallons of water/foam to knock down the fire. Crews opened the walls adjacent to the kitchen to check for extension.
Ladder 2265 was positioned on the A-side of the building with Engine 2265. Ladder 2276 and Engine 2245 were positioned on the C-side of the building.
The resident was cooking when a grease fire broke out. In an attempt to extinguish it, she threw salt on the fire. “When that didn’t work she went to water,” said Richardson.
He said there was a flashover in the kitchen and living room.
Richardson said that one firefighter was examined for heat and smoke injuries and was treated at the scene. Four residents were examined for smoke inhalation and three were transported by Oakdale crews to Woodwinds Hospital for further treatment.
- Assignment: Woodbury Engines 2246, 2255, 2265, 2275, Ladders 2266 and L2276, Utilities 2258 and 2277 Ambulances 2249 and 2269. Mutual Aid: Oakdale Ladder 7285 and Medic 7295 and Maplewood Ladder 1, Medic 2 and Battalion 2.
Firefighters Battle Blaze and Hot Weather in Cottage Grove
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Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
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Twin Cities Fire Wire
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Twin Cities Fire Wire
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Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
This story was updated with additional details and photos on Monday evening.
June 6 – Firefighters from the South metro worked to contain a house fire in Cottage Grove on Monday afternoon.
Cottage Grove crews were called to 8255 Hyde Ave. just at 3:53 p.m. The initial call reported flames from the back of a home.
Ladder 26 arrived to find heavy fire on the B and C sides of the two-story, split-level home on arrival. The crew stretched a 1 3/4-inch hoseline through the front door to the second floor.
“They did not encounter very much smoke, but they had a good amount of heat,” Deputy Chief Rick Redenius told Twin Cites Fire Wire. He said they opened the ceiling and found a heavy volume of fire traveling through the attic area.
“Command saw that the roof was starting to fail under heavy fire conditions, so we pulled the crew out and went to a defensive attack.”
Firefighters on Engine 25 deployed a 1 3/4-inch hoseline to the rear of the home. A 2 1/2-inch hoseline was pulled to the B-side to douse the fire that was burning through the attic.
Once the fire was knocked down, crews moved back to the interior of the home.
Redenius said the back of the home was destroyed and the second floor of the home suffered extensive damage.
As firefighters went about their duties on the scene, temperatures reached 95 degrees. Crews were cycled through rehab with water and wet towels.
“Our chiefs and safety officers were keeping an eye out for any firefighters who looked distressed,” said Redenius. No injuries were reported.
The fire was placed under control in about 45 minutes.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but police and fire officials, but it appeared to start near the back deck of the home, according to Redenius.
Firefighters from Newport, Saint Paul Park and Woodbury were called to assist Cottage Grove crews.
Video: Tankers Needed to Control Lake Elmo House Fire
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
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Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
This story was updated and new photos and video were added Tuesday morning.
May 9 – Firefighters from two states battled a late night house fire in a Lake Elmo cul-de-sac on Monday.
Firefighters were called to 5757 Highlands Ct. N. around 10:30 p.m., according to Lake Elmo Fire Chief Greg Malmquist.
A Washington County Sheriff’s deputy arrived and reported flames and smoke showing from the two-story home, which was set back several hundred feet from the road. The lone occupant had evacuated when the deputy arrived.
After a quick size-up, which showed flames engulfing the entire back of the home, he ordered a defensive attack.
The area was not equipped with hydrants, so water tankers were called into to help firefighters tackle the flames. Tankers came from: Bayport, Hudson, Lower St. Croix Valley, Mahtomedi, Maplewood North St. Paul and Oakdale.
Two drop tank sites were set up in the street in front of the home. The tankers were replenished up at Oakdale Station 1 on Helmo, where Oakdale firefighters had two fill sites.
Firefighters used to aerial master streams to tame the raging fire. Lake Elmo’s was set up in the driveway on the D-side and one from Oakdale in the driveway of the home.
Malmquist said that neighbors were concerned that the fire would spread to a nearby home and early efforts focused on saving that structure.
The fire was under control around 1 a.m.
About 75 firefighters were called to the scene and the Salvation Army was called in to provide them with relief supplies.
The Minnesota State Fire Marshal was expected to begin it’s investigation early Tuesday morning.
Woodbury fire crews were called to cover Lake Elmo stations.
Video: Woodbury Fire on Super Bowl Sunday
This video shows early operations of the Feb. 6 fire in the 1200 block of Hillcrest Drive.
The initial call for a report of smoke from the roof of a vacant home. The fire eventually consumed the two-story and units from Maplewood and Oakdale were called to the scene.
Related:
Fire Consumes Woodbury Home on Super Bowl Sunday
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Firefighters from the East Metro were called to a Woodbury house fire shortly after the Super Bowl ended on Sunday evening.Â
Crews were called to the 1200 block of Hillcrest Drive about 9:30 p.m. for a report of smoke from the roof of a vacant home. A public safety unit arrived shortly after reported smoke from the roofline of the two-story dwelling.
As fire units arrived, they called for mutual aid from Oakdale. Maplewood Fire Department was also requested.
Firefighters attacked the fire with several handlines and an elevated master stream.Â
When the smoke cleared, it appeared the most of the home was consumed by the flames.
TwinCitiesFireWire.com will update the story when additional details are available.
Fire at Maplewood Apartment Building
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo
Several fire departments are at the scene of an apartment fire in Maplewood on Saturday evening.
Maplewood Fire crews were called about 9:15 p.m. to the Maplewood Gardens Apartments on McKnight Road South.
Tanker 4 arrived to find smoke from the two-story, multi-unit apartment building.
Mutual aid was called from Woodbury, Oakdale and St. Paul fire departments.
Reports from the scene indicated that a firefighter was injured and transported, but no additional details are available at this time.
TwinCitiesFireWire.com will update the story when additional details are available.
Chemical Assessment Team Investigates Threats at Woodbury and Hastings Businesses
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St. Paul’s Chemical Assessment Team (CAT) was kept busy Monday while investigating two reports of a suspicious powder at businesses in Hastings and Woodbury.
The CAT team was called to the Home Design store at 3475 Vermillion St. in Hastings around 4:30 p.m. They found an envelope that contained white powder and had been opened earlier in the day by workers.
St. Paul Fire PIO Steve Zaccard said crews used monitors to investigate the powder and it was determined to be baking powder. The letter was turned over to Hastings police for further investigation.
The units left Hastings for the Home Depot at 8334 Tamarack Village in Woodbury for a similar report, just before 6 p.m.
There, the team investigated another letter containing threats. While no powder was evident, crews again deployed their monitors and found no traces of chemicals.
Once the incident was declared safe, the letter was turned over to the Woodbury Public Safety officials.
St. Paul Squad 1, Hazmat 1 and Chief 3 responded as the CAT team.
Woodbury Crews Hold Dryer Fire in Dwelling
Woodbury crews were called to 6365 Birchwood Road about 5 p.m. today.Â
As chiefs and apparatus were enroute, a Woodbury Public Safety law officer went on scene with smoke showing from the roof.
The fire was under control by 5:15 p.m. and units reported that the fire was held to the dryer.
An engine from Oakdale was called to cover Woodbury.
Twin Cities Fire Wire 