Fergus Falls Fire and Police Respond to Cooking Fire Early Thursday Morning

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Fergus Falls, MN – Officials responded to a stovetop fire at an apartment building near the Roosevelt Education Center early Thursday morning.

The Fergus Falls Police and Fire Departments responded to a report of a smoke alarm sounding and the smell of smoke on the 5^th floor of the Riverview Heights apartment building on North Sheridan Street at around 3:30 a.m. Thursday.

Fire Chief Ryan Muchow says the first arriving police officers found a fire on the stove top of one of the 5^th floor units. They immediately assisted the occupant out of the unit and then used a fire extinguisher to knock down the fire.

The Fire Department soon arrived and checked for fire extension, ventilated the apartment unit, and conducted air monitoring. The tenant was evaluated for smoke inhalation by the Fire Department and Ringdahl EMS before being taken to Lake Region Healthcare for further evaluation.

The damage was confined to the stove and no tenants were displaced. The damage estimate is $2,000.

Muchow says the fire was unintentional and was a result of unattended cooking. He adds that cooking fires remain a leading cause of residential fires and residents should remain alert, and in the kitchen, when cooking on the stove.

The Fire Department was on the scene for less than an hour and responded with 2 Engine’s, 1 Ladder Truck, 1 Rescue Truck, 1 Med Unit, and 4 command staff. The Fire Department was assisted by the Fergus Falls Police Department, Ringdahl EMS, and property maintenance staff.