Three-Alarm Fire Tears Through Shore Drive Duplex

A three-alarm fire in the 7500 block of West Shore Drive left a duplex absolutely charred, with eight residents displaced.

None of the eight residents suffered significant injury during the fire, though one was treated and released on the scene for smoke inhalation.

The family of one unit called 9-1-1 shortly before 3 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, when a smoke detector in one of the building's two units went off. The initial report was of a car fire inside of the garage of the duplex.

When crews arrived on scene, they found the garage engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to the house. The blaze eventually reached three alarms, according to city officials. Crews put out the fire, then worked for several hours to ensure there were no hot spots remaining.

Edina Fire Chief Marty Scheerer said an incident like this shows the importance of having working smoke detectors in homes.

"Without smoke detectors to notify residents of the fire, this could have been a very different situation," Scheerer said. 

The fire caused extensive damage to the duplex, though city officials did not disclose an approximate dollar amount. The Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team is working to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Like Edina Patch on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our daily newsletter