Blaze Burns Former Firefighter’s Home in Woodbury
No one was hurt in the Brittany Lane fire, which broke out early Saturday, Oct. 6.
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The Woodbury home of a former firefighter succumbed to fire early Saturday morning.
The home, at the 200 block of Brittany Lane, was likely a total loss, Woodbury Fire Cmdr. John Wallgren said at the scene.
Crews were called at about 12:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, and had cleared the scene at about 4 a.m. But a hidden rafter later started up again, and firefighters were called back at about 5 a.m., Wallgren said.
“We don’t know the cause yet,” he said.
The fire appears to have started on a deck, Wallgren said, and a woman and her son were in the home at the time.
“She was going to bed and a glass door broke from the heat. The drapes caught fire and she ran out of the house with the kid,” Wallgren said.
No one was hurt in the incident, though the woman was briefly treated at a hospital and released. A pet dog managed to escape, but a cat died in the fire.
It was a fully engulfed fire by the time crews arrived and an adjacent home also incurred damage from the heat, Wallgren said. Saving that home from burning was one of the first things firefighters did upon arrival, he said.
Wallgren was one of the first through the doors, and he said the floor began to collapse as firefighters entered.
At about 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning firefighters were using a “CAFS system,” an air-foam-water mixture, to coat the burned walls of the home in an effort to cool the structure, Wallgren said. “It’s like a thick pudding.”
Tom Richardson, the homeowner, said he was up north hunting when he got the call about the fire, and he left immediately.
As a former firefighter, Richardson said he wanted to find out what happened.
“The fire department did a great job. I’ve got to give them a pat on the back,” he said. “They did an excellent job. They did everything right.”
Firefighters from Cottage Grove and Oakdale helped fight the blaze, and crews from Lake Elmo were on standby.
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Kris Janisch
10:30 am on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Twin Cities Fire Wire has some good photos up: http://twincitiesfirewire.com/2012/10/06/fire-at-woodbury-home-threatens-nearby-structures/
Kim
10:59 am on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Amazing how horrible vinyl siding is when it comes to heat/fire.
Kris Janisch
11:02 am on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Looks like melted cheese or something.
John Degenhardt
11:52 am on Saturday, October 6, 2012
It is Compressed Air Foam System. Commonly referred to as CAFS system.
Kris Janisch
11:54 am on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Thanks John, I'll go in and change that.
Clint
12:56 pm on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Here is a video of the fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kak98zlsIKs
Caleb Brunz
1:20 pm on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Our hearts go out to the homeowners. We are here to help. Has anybody broughtvthem a care package yet.
Heather Lombardo
1:39 pm on Saturday, October 6, 2012
Relieved that Tom, Char and little guy were not injured. I know this is a personally tough one for the Woodbury FD. Thoughts and prayers go out to all..
Matt Behning
11:23 pm on Saturday, October 6, 2012
So sorry for the loss:( Much thanks and respect for the FD for keeping the family safe and containing the fire. Especially when other houses were so close that their sidding litterally melted (fourth pic of the red house)! No doubt the fire fighters were closer than that house was battling the blaze.
Abby Ceaglske
11:56 pm on Saturday, October 6, 2012
I was there and I experienced the entire thing. It wasn't super bad at first then it got bad after about 20-25 minutes. My friend said Tom and Char's cat Arrow was inside and didn't make it. There's a lot lost in that house, but this morning I watched Tom carry some belongings out to his truck from the garage. It was very scary and unreal!
Kris Janisch
10:16 am on Sunday, October 7, 2012
Thanks Clint. I added the video to the post. It is just a tough situation. I also heard a rumor that there might have been a boom before the fire. Anybody else hear that?
Caleb Brunz
12:40 pm on Sunday, October 7, 2012
There have been a number of fires recently in Woodbury. Even though our fire department is one of the best in the Twin Cities Metro, Fire Prevention is our best course of action to help people. Paul Davis is offering tips for Fire Prevention Week. http://woodbury.patch.com/blog_posts/paul-davis-offers-tips-for-fire-prevention-week-oct-7-13
Doomsayer2012
1:48 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Seeing how the fire department is only 4 blocks away you would have thought it would have been put out in less that 20 minutes & not to have called for help.
BJ
7:21 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
All of Tom and Char's family are incredibly grateful to the Woodbury Public Safety Department who were at their home within 2 minutes of the call. The intensity of the fire was so severe that the floor collapsed shortly after they arrived. Had the officers who broke through a lower window not done so, we would have not been as blessed as we are.
Kris Janisch
7:59 am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Thanks BJ.