St. Paul Fire responds to early morning fire in extreme cold

ST. PAUL – The St. Paul Fire Department responded to a house fire on Dec. 18 under extremely cold conditions. 

At 1:12 a.m., the fire department received the call about the fire located at the 4700 block of 52 street. 

“Two occupants were home at the time, along with pets, and everyone was able to get out safely,” said Fire Chief Trevor Kotowich in a statement to Lakeland This Week. 

When the fire department arrived, the wood stove area – between the main floor and the basement of the house – was burning. 

Along with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and RCMP, 18 firefighters responded to the fire. 

Crews faced difficulties accessing the fire, according to Kotowich.  

“This was a well seated fire, with difficulty in accessing the origin,” he explained. “Firefighters used extreme caution and skill to limit the damage using tools and saws to make access, in order to extinguish the fire.” 

Windchill at the time was also at least -32C, Kotowich said, “adding another challenge for firefighters.” Crews were at the scene until 4 a.m. 

The fire is currently under investigation, but so far, “The cause appears to be accidental,” said the fire chief. 

Kotowich reminds the public to have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. 

“It is important to note that smoke detectors first alerted the occupants,” he said. 

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