House fire in Ruckle
By Les Johnson
At about 4:30 p.m. March 27 the Fire Department responded to a house fire in the Ruckle subdivision.
By the time Fire Department crews arrived at 820 64th Ave. flames and smoke were pouring out of the house. A couple of local men couild be seen attempting to control the blaze with garden hoses but to no avail.
There was a full turnout with a number of fire trucks and emergency vehicles in attendance. The volunteer fire fighters got to use all their skills and gear today as they fought in full kit with masks on.
As I post this the crews are still working on the site and smoke is still coming out of the structure. Updates will follow when I can get a few minutes with the Fire Chief or Incident Commander.
Update: When I arrived, just before 5PM, it appeared that two men were unsuccessfully attempting to put the fire out using garden hoses pouring water into the west end of the house. The Fire Department was there late into the evening. (I left after 8 PM and they were still working) The crew numbered around 20 with members of the rural detachment attending as well. This has been a busy day for the Grand Forks Fire Department and the Fire Rescue crew.
The fire appeared to have been primarily located in the kitchen area at the west side of the back of the house. When fire crews were done with it the roof was largely caved in and the interior had suffered much water damage. The house is most likely a write off.
I was able to talk with the former residents, a young couple who had been there about a year and had been in the process of moving. They had actually moved most of their belongings out 2 days before leaving only a few possessions in the basement. One of the two vehicles on the property belonged to them and the other to the current landlord.
No one was injured in this fire.
