15-year-old wakes Duluth family in time to escape house fire
Jun. 8—A 15-year-old Duluth girl woke her family in time to escape a house fire early Tuesday morning in the East Hillside neighborhood.
The Duluth Fire Department was dispatched at 12:49 a.m. to the home on the 1100 block of East 10th Street, according to a news release. The four adults and four children in the family all escaped.
"Thanks to the quick thinking of a 15-year-old who alerted her family to the fire, they were all able to get out of the home safely," Assistant Chief Dennis Edwards said. "If she hadn't woken up, and notified her parents, this could have been a different situation. She was very brave."
One of the adults suffered burns on his hand when trying to extinguish the fire before exiting, the news release said. He was transported to a hospital, treated and released. The family's cats were not located inside and likely escaped through the doors left open by the resident after they fled the home.
When crews arrived, they began attacking the fire from the outside before advancing to the second floor, where they extinguished the fire in two rooms and the attic.
Structure damage is estimated to be $75,000. Damage to the contents of the home is estimated to be $50,000. The American Red Cross is assisting the family.
The fire is believed to be accidental and electrical, the release said. The Duluth Fire Marshal's office is investigating.
