A fire on an apartment balcony in Duluth on Christmas Day forced 13 people from their homes.
What’s Happening: Fire crews got a call about a fire at the MAA Pleasant Hill Apartments at 2500 Pleasant Hill Road at 2:14 p.m. Thursday. When firefighters arrived, they saw flames shooting from a second-floor balcony.
What’s Important: Two apartments took heavy damage from fire and water. No one was hurt. Everyone got out of the building safely.
How This Affects Real People: Ten adults and three children lost their homes on Christmas Day. The American Red Cross and apartment management are helping the displaced families.
What Happened: One resident said they were cooking food on the balcony when the fire started. They tried to put it out, but the flames grew too big, so they got out. Smoke alarms were working and went off during the fire.
The Cause: Firefighters on the scene said the fire was accidental.
Safety Reminder: Fire officials remind residents that cooking should never be done on apartment balconies and that they should always have working smoke alarms in the home.
The Response: Nearby apartment buildings were not damaged. Firefighters stayed on scene to make sure the fire was completely out.
