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At 9:30 PM on January 9, 2010, the Duluth Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire with multiple trapped victims on the 2nd floor.  Enroute we were informed by onscene Duluth police officers that there was a woman inside the second floor window at the front of the house who needed rescue.

Lincoln Park Firefighters were the first arrivals and saw that the woman was now attempting to climb down a old wooden ladder placed by the police officers.  She was hanging ouside the window but was unable to use the ladder.  There was heavy smoke coming from the windows on the 2nd floor and heavy flames coming from the windows on the 1st floor.

Firefighters placed one of their ladders next to the window and climbed up to assist the woman down to the ground.  She said that she was the only person inside of the house, but there were still pets inside.  She had breathed in the heated smoke from the fire so she was taken by Gold Cross Ambulance to the emergency room for treatment.  Here condition is unknown at this time.

Firefighters conducted a search for the pets and found a dog and a cat on the first floor of the home.  Both animals had perished in the fire.  A 2nd cat was found on the basement level and it was still breathing.  Firefighters took it outside and administered oxygen.  It was then taken by Duluth police officers to the emergency animal hospital in Lincoln Park for further treatment.  Its condition is unknown.

The firefighters were able to knock down the fire within ten minutes of arrival.  The overhaul of the building took another two hours.  There were 19 firefighters on 7 apparatus assigned to fight the fire.  No firefightrers were injured during the effort.  The operation was hampered by large amounts of personal property stacked throughout the home. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Duluth Fire Marshall's Office.    The entire first floor recieved flame and heat damage and the second floor of the home recieve heavy heat and smoke damage.  All contents of the home were destroyed.  Damage to the home and contents is estimated at $120,000.