Amanda Hand anxiously watches as firefighters work to extinguish the fire in the mudroom of her home on Creechville Road on Tuesday, December 18. The blaze was contained to the storage room and no one was injured in the fire.
Cook County Law Enforcement received report of a fire at the home of Amanda Hand and Michael Garry at 820 Creechville Road at 2:06 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18. Amanda Hand, at home with her daughter who was ill, told the dispatcher that there was a fire in the mudroom at the back of her house.
The dispatcher paged the Grand Marais Fire Department and Cook County Ambulance, letting them know that the family was out of the house. The fire department was on the scene at 2:12 p.m. They attacked the blaze at the southeast corner of the house with water and when it was partially extinguished began emptying the storage area where the fire appeared to have started. Most of the family’s belongings in the small room were destroyed.
Firefighters from the Colvill Fire Department arrived to provide mutual aid and the Maple Hill Fire Department was placed on standby. Firefighters used poles and a chainsaw to make holes in the interior walls and ceiling to ensure that the fire had not spread to the insulation. Smoldering pieces of insulation were tossed outside and more water was used to completely douse the fire.
The fire was contained to the mudroom, however the house was completely filled with smoke. Firefighters placed a large fan in the entry door to clear the smoke.
Cook County Ambulance stood by and Cook County Sheriff deputies blocked the road so firefighters could work. The fire was out and firefighters cleared the scene at 3:57 p.m.
Hand, her daughter and the family pets—a dog and a cat—all at home at the time were unhurt.
The house is owned by occupants of the adjacent home, David Mills and Beth Ferry. Reached by phone, David Mills said the fire scene had been investigated and it is believed the fire started spontaneously because of chemicals stored in the mudroom.
Mills, whose garage was destroyed by fire in November 2010, said he was glad that the fire was not worse. Mills said, “We are blessed that disaster was averted—again!”
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