Garage Fire in Kimball

At 4:14 this morning, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received a call reporting a building fire at the address of 50 Cherry Street South in Kimball.

The caller reported the neighbor’s garage was on fire and it was spreading to nearby trees.

Another nearby garage also started on fire.  Deputies were called to investigate and learned the fire was accidentally caused by an occupant of the home.  A minor child was attempting to dispose of a mattress by burning it in the garage.  He believed he extinguished the fire by using water and returned to the house. A short time later the homeowner’s dog was barking, and he looked back outside to see the entire garage was fully engulfed with flames.

All occupants in the house were able to find safety across the street.  The garage is considered a total loss, including a vehicle inside and all the contents of the garage.  The Kimball Fire Dept. was on the scene with assistance from Watkins Fire Dept. for mutual aid to extinguish the fire. Mayo Ambulance was also on standby for mutual aid for Watkins Ambulance.