1 Person Rescued from Fire at Grand Rapids Residence

One person was trapped in a structure fire in Grand Rapids on Sunday evening, but thanks to the help of the Grand Rapids Fire Department and working smoke alarms, that person and two other occupants made it out.

According to a press release from the Grand Rapids Fire Department, on March 16th at around 11:34 p.m., their office received a report of a structure fire on Sunny Beach Road. Before arriving on the scene, Itasca County Emergency Communications was made aware that a female occupant was still inside the residence. Law enforcement officers who arrived first were unable to gain entry into the residence due to heavy smoke conditions.

By using a thermal imaging camera, Fire Chief Travis Cole was able to locate the occupant lying on the floor below the bedroom window. Cole climbed into the bedroom, retrieved the occupant, and handed her to the other responders outside. He then continued to command operations and helped extinguish the structure fire.

Two people were treated on the scene for cuts while another was treated at Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital for smoke inhalation before being released the next day.

The release says working smoke alarms in the residence are what alerted the occupants to the fire. Damage estimates are unknown as of right now, and the fire remains under investigation.