Wednesday evening fire displaces family

Duluth Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a house fire at 5814 Elinor Street around 5:30pm on Wednesday. Crews from the Spirit Valley Fire Station were first on scene and found a fire that had originated in a bedroom of a single family one and a half story dwelling. The door to the bedroom it originated in was closed, limiting damage to the home by preventing the fire from spreading to the remainder of the home. Crews from Spirit Valley, Gary, Lincoln Park, and Headquarters worked to attack the fire. One adult and one child were home at the time of the fire and safely escaped with their cat, Sasha. The family and their pets were displaced by the fire, and the American Red Cross is assisting them with resources. Firefighters additionally rescued an eight-month-old ball python named Stephanie from the bedroom where the fire originated. No injuries were reported but damage to the building and contents is estimated at $25,000, primarily from smoke.

“This family was alerted to the fire in the home by the alarm in their working smoke detector, and we can’t reiterate enough how important a smoke detector is in keeping your families and property safe. These residents were able to act quickly and call 911 and get themselves and their cat out safely and soundly thanks, in part, to their smoke detector,” said DFD Assistant Chief Dennis Edwards.