A fire damaged two Duluth homes early today.
The fire at 613 N. 21st Ave. W. and 2105 W. Sixth St. was reported at 2:34 a.m., Duluth Fire Department acting Assistant Fire Chief Lee Youngblom said. The first call reported that a deck on a house and a small shed were on fire.
When they arrived, firefighters found that the decks on a house and a duplex, as well as a shed, were burning. The fire had already progressed to the interior of both homes. Firefighters had to attack the flames outside the buildings before they could enter them. The house at 613 N. 21st Ave. W. was the most heavily involved, with fire from the basement through the second floor.
The noise of the fire apparently woke the two residents at 613 N. 21st Ave. W., and they were already outside when authorities arrived on the scene. Duluth police arrived on the scene before the firefighters and woke the three occupants of the duplex at 2105 W. Sixth St. All the buildings' occupants escaped without harm, but a firefighter was transported to St Mary's Medical Center after suffering chest pains. He was released after determining the symptoms were caused by flu complications.
The fire caused an estimate $100,000 in damages to the house at 613 N. 21st Ave. W. and $50,000 in damage to its contents. The house's garage was also damaged with melted siding.
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The duplex at 2105 W. Sixth St. suffered an estimated $50,000 in damages to the structure and $10,000 to its contents. Firefighters were at the scene until 6 a.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
