ROCHESTER, Minn. – A basement fire spread quickly and destroyed a southeast Rochester house. Burning floors and stairways hindered firefighters from getting inside. When crews arrived, the owner was outside and said everyone had escaped, including a pet dog but not a cat. Firefighters retrieved the cat and used a feline resuscitation device to try to revive the cat, but it was too late. The fire, in the 900 block of 16-1/2 Street Southeast, was reported about 9:45 p.m.
Stubborn fire. Because the fire was persistent and because the night was freezing, fire crews were rotated on and off duty.