3 children rescued from apartment fire in Cannon Falls

Rebecca Mitchell, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·1 min read

Apr. 19—CANNON FALLS — Three children were rescued from an apartment fire on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, in Cannon Falls.

The apartment bedroom was fully engulfed when the Cannon Falls Police Department, Cannon Falls Fire Department and Cannon Falls Ambulance responded to the apartment on the 1200 block of First St. N. Apartment residents had evacuated the building, including an adult female who said her three children were inside the apartment. An officer broke out the second bedroom windows and the living room windows in an attempt to find the children, according to a press release from the police department.

The children were located and passed through the window to officers and ambulance members. The first two children were transported to the hospital while the third child received first aid care and oxygen at the scene until an ambulance was available. The mother also sustained an arm injury while trying to get the children out of the apartment and was transported to the hospital.

While at the scene, first responders noted the children and mother's conditions as "critical." The children were transferred by air ambulance for specialty care at another hospital, according to the release.

The fire department also worked to reunite pets with their owners. The American Red Cross is assisting the 12 apartment unit owners displaced by the fire.

The Cannon Falls Police Department and the State Fire Marshal are working to determine the cause of the fire.

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office, Red Wing Police Department, Dakota County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota State Patrol, Randolph Fire Department, Miesville Fire Department, Northfield Fire Department, Northfield Ambulance Service, Zumbrota Ambulance Service and Mayo Ambulance Service also assisted.