City Subscriptions

Two families displaced after fire creates $35,000 in damages in duplex

[Duluth, MN] At exactly 2:00 p.m., the Duluth Fire Department was dispatched to the report of a structure fire on the 600 block of East 7th Street. A reporting party reported seeing smoke coming from a second-story unit where a family, including children, reside. The reporting party was not sure if the family was home at the time of the fire.

Upon arrival, Duluth Fire crews saw smoke showing from the second floor of the duplex. Crews conducted a primary search from the back entrance of both units and did not find anyone in the second-floor unit. The tenants living in the first-floor unit had vacated before the Fire Department’s arrival.

While that was occurring, other crews called to the scene, laid lines at the nearest hydrant, and began attacking the fire from the front of the building. Once the fire was knocked down, crews checked for fire extension and put out hot spots. The first and second floors, in addition to the basement, were ventilated.

The tenants in the first and second floor units displaced. Both tenants have received assistance for temporary housing until the next steps can be determined. Damage is estimated at $35,000 to the structure and the contents in one bedroom. There is additional smoke damage in the first-floor unit. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Duluth Fire Marshal’s Office. No additional information is available at this time.

Crews from Headquarters, Lincoln Park, Spirit Valley, and UMD responded to the fire. The Duluth Police Department also responded to the fire and provided traffic control during the fire. MN Power and Comfort Systems were also called to the scene to shut off utilities.

This was the 95^th structure fire of 2021, and second structure fire in less than 14 hours.

###