Brainerd Fire Department responds to Baxter house fire – Brainerd Dispatch

BAXTER — The Brainerd Fire Department responded to a single-story house fire at 10:12 p.m. Sunday, June 30, on the 13000 block of Norway Drive in Baxter.

Brainerd Fire Chief Tim Holmes said they received a call out for a house fire with people possibly still inside the building. Arriving on scene, Holmes said crews learned all the people were out of the home and found a heavy concentration of fire on the north side of the building.

Holmes said mutual assistance was provided by Pillager Fire Department, which assisted with personnel, and Deerwood Fire Department assisted with their SCBA-fill trailer, a fire rescue trailer built to assist crews in response to fires, which serves as a breathing air refill station.

Crews rescued two dogs and two cats from the home. The fire made its way into the attic. Fire crews were on the scene until about 2 am as they checked for fire spread.

No injuries were reported and Holmes said no assistance was provided as the homeowner was staying in the camper, though he said he would inquire again Monday and work with the family on long-term help.

Holmes said it was possible the fire started on the outside of the building, though the fire department would be returning Monday afternoon to continue its investigation into the cause of the fire.

The Baxter Police Department and North Memorial Health Ambulance assisted at the scene.

Tim Speier joined the Brainerd Dispatch in October 2021, covering Public Safety.