Problematic warmer day. Cause apparently was a space heater n a back bedroom. Image: Pine Island Fire Department
Fire crews needeed to drag hoses 50 yards
PINE ISLAND, Minn. – Firefighters had a heckuva time with a burning pre-built home on a remote hillside west of Pine Island. There were no hydrants for water. The mud was so thick that a tanker truck with water from Pine Island couldn’t get close. By the time crews pulled hoses 50 yards from the tanker, half the structure had collapsed. In the end, 4-1/2 hours later, the house was a total loss. The good news: No one was home to be injured. Several firefighters, however, suffered bumps and bruises falling in the mud. The fire was reported by a neighbor about 1:30 p.m. at 50199 154th Avenue.