Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
An apartment at a complex in southeast Rochester was damaged by a fire that started when a woman left a stove on for heat.
The fire, which was reported at 8:26 a.m., was at Meadow Park Apartments, 1426 Fourth Ave. S.E.
Rochester Fire Marshal Vance Swisher said the 31-year-old woman had the stove on, took a shower and discovered the fire when she came out. She pulled the alarm, and a maintenance man put out the fire. Firefighters were also called.
The fire caused $8,000 to $10,000 in damage to the stove and cabinets, Swisher said.
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"This could have been a lot worse," Swisher said. "Another two to three minutes, it would have made it to the attic space, and we would have had a much different fire."
This was the third two-alarm fire in 24 hours, all in apartments and all caused by people using stoves for extra heat. Stoves aren’t made for such extended use, Swisher said.
