HomeMy WebLinkAboutDec 7 EFD_DecemberFire
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Kaylin Eidsness, Senior Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-833-9537 • Fax 952-826-0389 • EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Multiple Fires Damage Edina Home, Apartment and
Business
Edina, Minn., Dec. 7, 2018 – The Edina Fire Department has been busy.
The department was called to the 4100 block of Parklawn Avenue at 8:17 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, after heavy
black smoke was reported coming from a unit on the third floor.
Firefighters arrived to a working fire, but were able to quickly extinguish it by stretching a line up a ground
ladder and entering the unit through the balcony. Four additional units suffered fire, smoke or water damage.
One resident was treated on scene by Hennepin Healthcare for smoke inhalation.
“Because the building’s hallway doors weren’t propped open, they were able function properly and shut when
the fire alarm activated. This kept the smoke and fire better contained,” said Fire Inspector Brian Hanrahan.
The cause of the apartment fire is still under investigation.
At 2:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, fire crews arrived at a home on the 4700 block of Wilford Way after the
residents called 911 reporting they smelled smoke.
As firefighters arrived to the active fire, smoke was escaping the attic of the home. While crews were able to
extinguish the fire, the attic and second floor suffered extensive damage. There were no injuries.
“Smoke alarms are never more important than during the middle of the night when people are asleep,” said
Hanrahan. “Along with working smoke alarms, I can’t overstate how important it is to have an escape plan.
And people should always remember to exit the house first, and then call 911.”
Fire Inspectors believe the fire was started by a light above the shower; however, they are unsure as to why
the light started the fire.
As Edina crews were fighting the fire on Wilford Way, at 3:05 a.m., a fire alarm alerted dispatch of a possible
fire at Raku, 3939 W. 50th St. The Fire Department was able to receive mutual aid from the Hopkins Fire
Department, which arrived to a faint smell of smoke in the building. The fire, which started in the kitchen, had
already been extinguished by the building’s sprinkler system. Other businesses in the building weren’t affected
by the fire. There were no injuries.
“If it weren’t for the building’s sprinkler system, the damage could have been severe,” said Fire Marshal Rick
Hammerschmidt, “especially since the fire started in the middle of the night.”
The cause of the apartment fire is still under investigation.
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
For these fires, Edina Fire Department received mutual aid from the Bloomington,
Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Golden Valley, Richfield and St. Louis Park fire departments.
For more information about the Edina Fire Department, visit EdinaMN.gov/Fire
or call 952-826-0330.
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