An afternoon of fun in the snow for the Anderson-Somnis family was interrupted by a frightening experience on Sunday, January 30. Erik Anderson and Riley and Connor Somnis were building a snow fort in the large snow banks on County Road 60 in Grand Marais when they noticed a strange smell, like burning plastic. It is not unusual to smell smoke in the neighborhood, as the Andersons and other neighbors have outdoor wood boilers to heat their homes. However, the odor was different and Anderson looked around to see black smoke curling out of his garage.
Anderson attempted to remove items from the garage, and was able to get a snowmobile belonging to a friend out before the fire grew too large.
Riley Somnis ran to tell his mother, Stephanie Anderson, to call the fire department. Stephanie Anderson said, “He ran in yelling ‘Mom! The garage is on fire!’ I wasn’t too alarmed. I thought it was probably just a little fire. Then I looked out and saw flames! Within minutes the roof collapsed.”
Cook County Law Enforcement received two calls reporting the fire, the first from a neighbor at 1:41 p.m. and then at 1:42 p.m. from Stephanie Anderson.
A Cook County sheriff ‘s deputy was on scene by 1:47 p.m. and confirmed that the garage was fully engulfed.
The Grand Marais Fire Department was called to standby in case mutual aid was needed, but when Maple Hill Fire Department arrived a few minutes later, it was determined the fire did not pose a threat to the home itself. The fire department extinguished the fire, but the structure was a total loss.
At 2:45 p.m., the fire was out and the two responding Maple Hill fire engines were released from the scene.
Stephanie Anderson said the family lost a great deal in the blaze, including Erik Anderson’s tools, an old fishing boat, bikes, snowboards, a snowmobile, and some stored furniture and baby clothing. She said the family is in the process of listing all that was in the garage. An insurance adjuster will be visiting this week. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
Anderson said the family is sad about the items destroyed, but she added she was very grateful that no one was hurt. “It was all stuff. It’s hard to lose things, but it could have been much worse.”
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