Occupant Escapes Out Window, 5 Dogs Die In St. Paul House Fire
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A lone occupant was able to escape out of a window from a Sunday morning house fire in St. Paul. Unfortunately, five dogs in the home died in the blaze.
According to the St. Paul Fire Department, the fire started in the basement of a home on the 900 block of Tuscarora Avenue West. By about 11 a.m., the fire was out.
Authorities say the basement had illegal bedrooms, meaning the windows in them were not large enough for a person to escape -- or for a firefighter to get in.
St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said a college-aged woman was sleeping in her family's home when the fire broke out. He says she was able to escape through a small window near the ceiling.
St. Paul Fire
Five dogs died in the fire but one dog was rescued with CPR.
The cause of the fire is being classified as careless smoking of a Hookah pipe in the basement bathroom, according to officials.
The Red Cross is assisting five people who lived at the residence.
