DETROIT LAKES, Minn. -- A Detroit Lakes apartment building fire early Tuesday sent two dozen sleepy residents scrambling for exits, including one person who jumped from a third story window to a second story balcony.
No one was injured, said Detroit Lakes Fire Chief Jeff Swanson.
The fire at Summit Apartments, an older, four-story, wood-frame building, was reported about 4 a.m. by a young girl, said Deputy Fire Chief Clarence Bjelde. The fire was extinguished by 7 a.m., he said.
"The building (located at 903 Summit Avenue) is basically gutted," said Bjelde. Although it remains standing, the third and fourth floors are destroyed, he said.
Tenants were evacuated after waking to smoke alarms. Some climbed out fourth floor windows and scaled down from balconies.
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About 75 firefighters and police from six surrounding departments, including Wolf Lake, Callaway and Audubon, responded to the call. Emergency workers made sure everyone was out of the building.
Swanson said the fire started on the third floor, but the cause is unknown.
The building contains 14 apartments, two of which were vacant. Twenty-four people were evacuated to the Senior Nutrition Center in Detroit Lakes, said County Emergency Management Director Dan Holm. The rest are staying with relatives and friends.
"So far we have people staying at Castaway Resort and the Holiday Inn for a couple days," said Holm. "It is hard because it is near the Fourth of July and hotels are booked. They are temporarily supported by the Red Cross. We are doing well short-term."
The Seventh Day Adventist church opened its second-hand store to displaced residents, and Central Market grocery store provided breakfast items that were served at the senior center. Becker County Human Services will help find permanent housing for the victims.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Johnson is a reporter for the Becker County Record/ Detroit Lakes Tribune, a Forum Communications newspaper in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
