December 22 – PINE ISLAND, Minn. – A family from Pine Island, Minnesota is displaced after a fire damaged their home early Sunday morning, December 22, 2024.
The Pine Island Fire Department was called to the 800 block of White Bridge Road Northeast shortly after 12:30 p.m. for a report of a chimney fire at a home there. The people who lived there were outside and told the firefighters that they were awake and in the area. home when smoke began to fill the house.
Firefighters found smoke coming from the second floor. Crews found fire on the first and second floors and were able to extinguish the fire. Fire officials reported heavy fire damage near the fireplace that extended to the second floor and into the basement of the home.
The crew then discovered that the fire had spread to the exterior walls of the attic and spread to the roof. Firefighters were on scene until 4:45 a.m. to rescue the homeowners’ personal items and prevent further fire damage.
According to the fire brigade, the fire was probably caused by debris from the fireplace. They estimate that the damage to the house is around 100,000 euros.
The Oronoco Fire Department provided additional personnel to fight the fire. Oronoco First Responders, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshall’s Office also assisted the Pine Island Fire Department. The People’s Food Co-op, American Red Cross of Southern Minnesota, provided assistance to the displaced family.
