All safe after early morning blaze

A family of four and all their pets made it safely out of an early morning house fire Tuesday. When firefighters arrived at 1311 N. 21st St., flames fully engulfed the front porch but the occupants were already outside. The family — two adults and children ages 9 and 4 — had been woken up by their smoke detectors.

“A large portion of why everyone made it out alive was on account of their smoke detectors,” said Capt. Lane Halverson with the Superior Fire Department.

Firefighters beat back the blaze with hoses and used a positive pressure attack to clear smoke and fire from the structure. The main part of the fire was out within minutes, Halverson said. As they searched the interior of the home for any extension of the fire, firefighters kept their eyes open for the family’s pets — a dog, cat, guinea pigs and fish. The dog was found shivering in a bedroom corner. When firefighters approached, it ran to another room and hid under the bed.

“I grabbed him and I carried him out of the fire,” Halverson said. He placed the pooch in the arms of homeowner, Justin Flons.

“He was so happy to get his dog, so relieved, and that really makes you feel good,” Halverson said.

Capt. David Johnson found the cat hiding in the basement and managed to get the feline out.

“It wasn’t long after that I saw somebody (Firefighter Steve Matheson) take the guinea pigs out,” Halverson said. The fish are still residing in the house, but the family has plans to move them.

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, according to Battalion Chief Vern Johnson. The blaze appeared to originate in the front porch area, Halverson said, and caused an estimated $25,000 worth of damage. The house is insured. No injuries were reported. The blaze was reported at 12:42 a.m. and firefighters cleared the scene about two hours later.

The family did the right thing by leaving the house immediately without looking for their pets, David Johnson said. Being able to place those animals in their arms, he said, “made a horrible situation a little better” for the family. The firefighters also stressed the importance of smoke detectors.

“Make sure that you check your smoke detectors, check your batteries,” Halverson said.

As of press time, the family had not contacted the Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross for help.

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