Crime & Safety
UPDATE: VIDEO: $1 Million Home Destroyed in Troy Burne Fire; No Injuries
Fire crews from four departments responded to the blaze started by a lightning strike Saturday morning. The owners were not home at the time.
UPDATE (9:12 p.m., May 26, 2012): A lighting strike in the upscale Troy Burne development south of Hudson caused more than $1 million in damage to a home Saturday, as an estimated 60 firefighters from 10 departments battled the massive fire it sparked for more than three hours.
Crews from the River Falls Fire Department responded to calls shortly before 11:30 a.m. Saturday to reports of a lightning strike to the roof at 263 St. Anne's Parkway in the Town of Troy that started the home on fire. Residents were not home at the time; there were no injuries.
Firefighters arrived to find the roof of the home engulfed in flames and heavy smoke. Crews attempted to battle the blaze within the home, but high winds spread the fire and hampered efforts.
Find out what's happening in Hudsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Property tax records indicate the home belongs to Norbert and Pamela Biderman. River Falls Fire Chief Scott Nelson said the home was valued at more than $1 million.
Records at Zillow.com indicate the home was listed at $995,000 in 2008. St. Croix County property tax records for 2011 assessed the value at $629,400 and the fair market value is $554,900.
Find out what's happening in Hudsonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Crews from River Falls, Hudson, Roberts, Prescott, Spring Valley, United, St. Joseph, Ellsworth, Lake Elmo, MN, and Lower St. Croix Valley—along with the and River Falls Ambulance—assisted with the blaze.
The fire was at least one of three known fires sparked by lightning strikes in the Twin Cities region Saturday. A lighting strike caused a grass fire on Stags Leap Lane less than two miles north on Saturday; a home in Brooklyn Park, MN, was also destroyed in a fire sparked by a lightning strike Saturday.
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ORIGINAL POST (12:26 p.m., May 26, 2012): Crews from along with multiple other departments are battling a blaze on St. Anne's Parkway in the Troy Burne development. The blaze began during a thunderstorm before noon on Saturday.
According to property tax records, the house belongs to Norbert and Pamela Biderman. There is no word yet on whether anyone was home when the fire began.
Dozens of onlookers watched from Lindsey Road and County Road F as firefighters attacked the blaze.
