City Subscriptions

At approximately 12:10 today the Duluth Fire Department was dispatched for a report of a structure fire in the 7800 block of Congdon Blvd.  Multiple callers notified 911 and reported a fully involved garage fire along with a vehicle parked nearby burning.  The house was reported to be 50-75 feet from the garage.   Units from Lakeside, Woodland, UMD and Downtown stations responded.  In this area of Duluth there are a limited number of fire hydrants available, so a mutual aid request was made to Lakewood and Rice Lake Fire Departments for support with water tenders.  6 Engine from Lakeside station was first to arrive on scene and reported a fully involved detached garage along with a pickup truck in front of it burning.  The fire was threatening to extend to the house and had begun to melt the vinyl siding.  6 Engine used their 500 gallons of tank water to slow the fire and protect the house.  Additional arriving units worked to stretch more than 1000 feet of supply line to the nearest hydrant.  As this line was established the water main supplying the hydrant failed rendering the hydrant unusable.  2 water tenders from Rice Lake Fire Department arrived a short time later and worked with Duluth Fire crews to establish a consistent water supply.  Lakewood Fire Department units had diverted to a second emergency that was occurring in Lakewood Township at the same time.  The garage contained multiple flammable gas cylinders and the power line feeding the house had burned off from the fire creating additional scene hazards.  Minnesota Power was contacted for an emergency page out and quickly responded to disconnect the downed power line.  The fuel tank of the pickup breached during the fire and spilled several gallons of burning gasoline onto the ground adding to the complexity of the fire.  Duluth Police Department units responded and secured the roadway to make it safe for fire vehicles to move in and out of the scene.  The remaining fire was extinguished.  The garage and pickup truck were a total loss but damage to the house and a second nearby vehicle was minor.  There were no injuries caused by the fire.  The Duluth Fire Marshall’s office responded and is investigating the cause of the fire.  The Duluth Fire Department would like to thank our partners at Saint Louis County Dispatch, Duluth Police Department, Rice Lake and Lakewood Fire Departments, Minnesota Power and Duluth Public Works for their assistance with this emergency.