Duluth Firefighters Battle Garage Fire, Vehicles Driving Over Hydrant Line

DULUTH, Minn. –  A structure fire in Duluth’s Lakeside/Lester Park neighborhood has turned into another plea from firefighters to residents, after vehicles once again got in the way of fighting a fire.

The department said five vehicles drove over one of the hydrant lines being used to fight the fire Monday afternoon.

Assistant Fire Chief Dennis Edwards told FOX 21, vehicles can burst hose lines, and cause damage to the water pump or fire hydrant. But even worse, Edwards said water can get cut off to firefighters battling flames inside a structure, which creates a deadly situation.

A broken hydrant line also costs around $1,000 to replace.

As for Monday’s emergency, crews responded to the 300 block of North 60th Avenue East around 1:50 p.m. The detached garage is about 10 feet from the owner’s home. The flames were so intense that a nearby tree caught fire, and flames started to blister the paint on the house.

But firefighters doused the house to avoid any further damage.

Nobody was injured.

Damage to the garage is estimated around $150,000. The Duluth Fire Marshal is investigating a cause.