Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Fire Burns Garage on St. Michael-Albertville Border

Firefighters from both community departments were able to limit any damage after fire broke out in a garage near the community's main intersection.

UPDATE (Friday, June 1, 3 p.m.) St. Michael Fire Chief Steve Hosch said crews were able to knock down the fire in the 4400 block of LaBeaux in short order. 

"It looked like it could be a lot worse. We thought when we broke the window it could break loose, but it just stayed in the wall." 

Hosch said he concluded it was, indeed, an electrical fire as first reported. He said a fridge was plugged in near the source, which was a line going to an outlet. 

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"It's an old structure," Hosch said. "It also could have been some overload there. You just don't know until you take it all apart. Luckily, it smoldered in that line. It didn't really want to go anywhere else. There were some items in the garage that certainly could have fueled it."

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Firefighters from the and departments responded to a small structural fire early this morning at around 8:40 a.m.

Wright County deputies and Allina Ambluance were on standby as first-responders arrived to black smoke emerging from a detached garage on the property of a single family home near the intersection of 50th Street/Jason Avenue and County Road 19. 

The home, which dates back to the two communities' origins, lies on property in front of Swamp Lake, at the main border of St. Michael and Albertville. is across the county road, directly to the east. 

Witnesses said firefighters were on scene quickly, and were able to limit the damage to just the garage structure. 

A car that was parked in the garage had been driven by a resident as she headed into work. There was a riding lawnmower inside, but it appeared to avoid any fire damage. 

Firefighters' efforts were concentrated on a southeast corner, where an appliance had apparently been plugged in. One witness said the fire appeared to be an electrical fire. 

Occupants of the home, which is about 15 paces from the actual spot of the fire, were allowed to stay inside, including some children, as the fire was knocked down. 

Albertville Public Works was also on scene to provide backup for AFD. 


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