RED WING — Authorities responded to a distress call in time to prevent a man with a butane torch from setting a neighbor's home on fire early today.
The Red Wing Police Department and the Red Wing Fire Department responded to a 4:38 a.m. report that front porch lights were on fire at 465 11th St.
Authorities quickly extinguished the small fire while making contact with the man carrying a butane torch and threatening to set the house on fire. When confronted by authorities, the man retreated into his own home, barricaded himself inside and ceased communication, according to a press release issued by Red Wing Police Chief Roger Pohlman.
A perimeter was set up around the man's home, and the Goodhue County Emergency Response Team was called in for additional support. The specialized unit eventually entered the residence and safely apprehended the man without further incident.
Pohlman said the man was being evaluated at Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Wing. It's unclear what charges the man might face or when they could be filed.
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The Post-Bulletin does not typically identify suspects until they've been formally charged.
