Owatonna Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 2100 block of Saint Paul Road Northeast. Shortly after 5 pm on Thursday, January 26, Owatonna firefighters were dispatched for a report of a fire in the basement laundry room of the residence. Upon arrival, fire crews observed light smoke coming from an open garage door. Firefighters located fire on the main floor and in the basement. They extinguished the fires and remained on scene to ventilate and to ensure there was no further fire extension into other areas of the house.
“The residents were alerted to the fire by smoke alarms and were able to safely evacuate prior to our arrival on scene,” said Ed Hoffman, Owatonna Fire Chief. “This is a great reminder that working smoke alarms save lives. We encourage all Owatonna residents to test your alarms monthly, change batteries twice a year, and replace smoke alarms every 10 years.”
The residence sustained extensive damage. One person was evaluated by EMS crews on scene and released. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The following agencies assisted the fire department: Owatonna Police, Owatonna Public Utilities, Mayo Ambulance, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.