Fire Destroys Maple Grove Home - Again

Maple Grove Firefighters responded to a call of a house fire around 1 a.m. July 22 on the 12200 block of 88th Place in Maple Grove, according to Maple Grove Fire Chief Scott Anderson.

“The home was pretty well involved in fire when we arrived,” Anderson said.

Initially, two fire stations were dispatched to the scene and called for assistance from the remaining Stations along with the Osseo and Anoka/Champlin Fire Departments after seeing the size of the fire, he said.

According to neighbor Wayne Nesset, who captured the blaze on camera, the home “was gone already” and “fully engulfed” when he saw the fire outside his window around 1 a.m. Friday, July 22.

It took about 15 minutes to extinguish the house fire, Anderson said, indicating the firefighters used two pumper trucks and one ladder truck along with two fire hydrants.

“After most of the fire was extinguished, we spent the next few hours putting out smoldering fires in the attic and in the walls,” he said. “Thermal imaging cameras were used to find fire hot spots hidden behind walls. Firefighters were rotated in and out as the work continued.”

An engine from the was left at the home until 9 a.m. Friday, July 22 to “be on-guard for hot spots that might cause the fire to reignite.” Fire investigators and fire department staff were on the scene on Friday to try to determine the cause of the fire.

“We have a lot more investigative work to do,” Anderson said.

The assisted at the  fire and North Memorial Ambulance was available as a precautionary measure if a firefighter was injured.

It is the second fire the northern Maple Grove home has sustained within the last month. The first fire happened around 1 a.m. June 20. No injuries were sustained in either incident. 

According to Anderson, the family was living in an apartment while repairs were being made from the first fire when the second fire occurred.

The cause of the first fire, he said, was a lightning strike to the fireplace chimney.

“It is presumed the lightning strike occurred a few days before the fire and smoldered in the structure that surrounds the chimney. It extended up the structure and into the attic,” Anderson said, indicating there was damage to the attic, fireplace and roof. “The family was home at the time of this [June] fire, observed the smoke and called 911.”

The incident report from the June fire estimated losses to be more than $100,000.