On Saturday, October 19, Owatonna Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 600 McIndoe Street Southeast, Owatonna. At approximately 10:09 AM Saturday morning, the Owatonna Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a possible basement fire.
Upon firefighters’ arrival, a small amount of smoke was coming from the front door. Firefighters located fire on the basement stairs and in the basement. They extinguished the fires and remained on scene for two and a half hours to ventilate and to ensure there was no further fire extension into other areas of the house.
“The resident was not alerted to the fire by smoke alarms but was able to safely evacuate prior to our arrival on scene,” said Ed Hoffman, Owatonna Fire Chief. “This is a great reminder to make sure the smoke alarms in your home are working. 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, and three people have been displaced because of this fire. No injuries to residents or firefighters were reported. The cause has been ruled undetermined after investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Owatonna Fire Department would like to thank the following agencies that assisted during this incident: Mayo Ambulance, Medford Fire Department, Owatonna Police Department, Owatonna Public Utilities, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.