House Destroyed by Fire in Rural Brainerd

A house was destroyed by fire last week in rural Brainerd.

On Jan. 18, the Brainerd Fire Department responded to a structure fire on the 1100 block of Oro Way at 2:18 am. The caller reported that a fire had broken out in the loft area of their house.

The deputy fire chief was the first to arrive on the scene and found flames coming out of the second story of the house. The first and second stories of the house were completely burned and an area of the basement, which was used as a workshop for string instruments had smoke and water damage.

The husband and wife who lived in the home were unharmed, but unfortunately, their two cats and their dog could not make it out in time. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the Fire Department has a good idea of the cause already.

“It’s probably likely due to some type of electrical issue, whether it’s [an] electrical issue in the house, or they were having some problems with rodents, squirrels in that area of the house,” Brainerd Fire Chief Tim Holmes told Lakeland News.

The couple was able to move in with some of their family who lived down the road. Robert Larsen, the owner of the home, wishes to thank everyone in the community for their thoughts and prayers.