A late-night fire damaged a house under construction in a new development on Ridgepointe Drive Tuesday, Dec. 17, after a passerby spotted flames coming from the roof and called it in. The call came in just after 11:15 p.m., according to Assistant Fire Chief Chris Paulson. Fire crews were dispatched at 11:16 p.m., and the first unit arrived six minutes later.
“We were dispatched to a structure fire ‘coming from one of the new development homes’ with flames coming from the roof,” Paulson said. “Fortunately, someone was driving by and noticed the fire.”
When firefighters arrived, they found a house still in the framing stage, with the fire centered in the front garage area. The blaze had already burned through sections of roof sheathing, leaving exposed framing lumber and trusses actively on fire.
“Upon arrival, we found a new construction home, just framing lumber, with a fire in the front garage area,” Paulson said. “The fire had burned off the roof sheathing and we had just the framing lumber, trusses and sheathing on fire.”
Crews were able to knock down the fire quickly and prevent it from spreading through the rest of the structure. While the damage was limited to part of the home, the extent of the structural impact is still being evaluated.
“We were able to have a quick knockdown of the fire and kept it from consuming the entire structure,” Paulson said. “There was damage to the structural components, so I am not sure what can be salvaged and what will need to be replaced.”
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation. Firefighters from Hastings responded to the scene, with the Cottage Grove Fire Department also dispatched as mutual aid. Because the fire was brought under control quickly, additional assistance was canceled. The fire was declared under control at 11:36 p.m., and officially out at 12:13 a.m. Crews cleared the scene by 12:24 a.m. No injuries were reported, something Paulson said was especially important to everyone involved.
“Fortunately, nobody was hurt in this fire,” he said. “Fortunate that the house was under construction and not occupied. Also, fortunate to have warm weather that kept the scene from becoming icy.”
While winter fires often come with added challenges, including ice and frozen equipment, crews were helped by milder temperatures that night. Still, cold weather can complicate an already dangerous job.
“It goes without saying that ice is a big problem when it gets cold outside,” Paulson said. “We have had a lot of injuries over the years from people slipping and falling on the ice during fires.”
He added that working fires in winter can be physically demanding in ways people do not always realize.
“If you think it is miserable to be working outside when it is cold, try being soaking wet at the same time,” Paulson said.
Paulson noted he has been told, “The hottest and coldest I have ever been in my life was at the same fire call.”
No other structures were involved in the fire.