Crime & Safety

Fridley Mom, Kids Escape 'Very Significant Fire' at Able St. Duplex

Three went to hospital with 'minor injuries,' fire official says.

A Friday morning fire in a duplex on Able Street NE sent a mother and two small children to the hospital with minor injuries, according to Fridley Assistant Fire Chief John Crelly.

Fire crews arrived in the 7300 of Baker Street NE (the rear side of the house and more accessible side of the block) at about 9:20 a.m. Friday to find "lots of smoke" and fire in the back of the house.

"We've had a very good day," Crelly said, in reference to firefighters' success at battling the blaze. "It was a very significant fire."

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Automatic mutual-aid response came from the Columbia Heights, St. Anthony and Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View fire departments. "We used everybody" to deal with the fire, Crelly said. By 10:30 a.m. those crews were clearing the scene, while multiple Fridley fire vehicles and personnel remained. Centerpoint Energy and Xcel Energy were also on hand to cut off utilities to the duplex.

Dog Saved
After a "pretty quick" knockdown of the flames, Crelly said, fire fighters set about rescuing a small pet dog in the house.

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They then removed parts of the house's soffits and ceiling to see if the fire was in the duplex's small attic, as the smoke pouring out of roof vents suggested. (It did not appear to have reached the attic, he said.)

Crelly said he didn't yet know where in the house the fire started or how. Anoka County emergency dispatch radio and Twin City Incident Page cited an explosion in an air conditioner unit.


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