Three fire departments—Grand Marais, Maple Hill and Lutsen—responded to a fire in Grand Marais on Tuesday, January 21. The home suffered significant smoke and water damage, but the residents and their two cats and some fish were uninjured.
Local fire departments were called out in subzero temperatures on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 to fight a fire at 860 5th Avenue West at 7:56 a.m. The occupants of the house, Linda Strohl and Gerald Roser, were able to make it through thick smoke in the house to get outside. They were transported by Cook County Ambulance to North Shore Hospital. Roser was evaluated for possible burns or smoke inhalation and was released.
The Grand Marais Fire Department was on scene by 8:07 a.m., followed by the Maple Hill Fire Department and Lutsen Fire Department, responding to offer mutual aid. The Grand Marais ladder truck was raised and firefighter Aaron Mielke climbed up with a chainsaw to cut holes in the snow-covered roof to vent the smoke and to allow water to enter the structure. The hoses on the ladder truck were turned on to douse the smoldering fire. Other firefighters manned hoses from the ground outside and others entered the building to locate and extinguish flames inside.
By approximately 10 a.m. the fire was out and firefighters were preparing to clear the scene when sheriff deputies shared a request from the homeowner—there were two cats in the house at the time of the fire—could firefighters look for them? Firefighters searched the house and found the two cats, very wet and very unhappy in the basement. As they were being brought out to the safety of the First Responder vehicle, one cat escaped. Concerned that the wet cat would not survive the extreme cold, firefighter Jed Smith went after it, following the frightened animal through the snow. Smith eventually caught the terrified cat and both cats were put in the First Responder rig to warm up until pet carriers could be found for them.
Grand Marais Fire Chief Ben Silence said during the search for the cats, firefighters noticed fish in an aquarium. With the temperature inside the burned house dropping rapidly, firefighters decided to also rescue the fish. They found a bowl and scooped them out of the tank, also carrying them to a warm vehicle.
The fire departments were clear of the scene by 10:59 a.m.
Grand Marais Fire Chief Ben Silence said he had no comment regarding the possible cause of the fire. He said the State Fire Marshal’s office would investigate.
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