Fire report

 

THE WINDOM FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED OUT FRIDAY NIGHT FOR A HOUSE FIRE IN WINDOM. 

 

THE INITIAL CALL WAS RECEIVED AT 7:24 FRIDAY NIGHT FROM THE HOME OF MIKE BOGEL.   BOGEL WAS HOME AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE.  HE REPORTEDLY TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE USING BUCKETS OF WATER, BUT WHEN THAT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, HE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.  BOGEL WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT INJURY.   

 

WHEN THE WINDOM FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THE HOUSE WAS FULLY ENGULFED.  THERE WAS FIRE ON THE MAIN FLOOR AND THE UPSTAIRS ATTIC, WITH THE FIRE HAVING PENETRATED THE ROOF.  TWO TEAMS WENT INTO THE HOUSE.  ONE TEAM WAS ABLE TO KNOCK DOWN THE FIRE ON THE MAIN FLOOR.  A SECOND TEAM TRIED TO GAIN ENTRY TO THE 2ND FLOOR, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT UPSTAIRS, LEAVING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO FIGHT THE FIRE FROM THE OUTSIDE.   MUTUAL AID WAS PROVIDED BY THE MT LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT. 

 

AT ABOUT 10:15 FRIDAY NIGHT, AN EXCAVATOR UNIT WAS BROUGHT IN.  THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE HOUSE WAS TAKEN OFF AND THAT MATERIAL WAS EXTINGUISHED.   THE MT LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEFT AT MIDNIGHT.  THE WINDOM FIRE DEPARTMENT REMAINED ON THE SCENE UNTIL ABOUT 2:30 SATURDAY MORNING.  AT 6:30 IN THE MORNING, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BACK TO PUT OUT SOME “HOT SPOTS” THAT HAD FLARED UP.   

 

THE HOUSE IS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. 

 

ON SATURDAY, AN INVESTIGATOR FROM THE STATE FIRE MARSHALL’S OFFICE INSPECTED THE SCENE.  THE CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CHIMNEY FIRE FROM A WOOD-BURNING STOVE.  SOME OF THE PIPING HAD RUSTED OUT, ALLOWING A FIRE TO DEVELOP INTO THE ATTIC AND THE FLOOR SYSTEM. 

 

ONE FIREFIGHTER SUSTAINED AN ANKLE INJURY AFTER SLIPPING ON ICE AT THE SCENE.