Fire Evacuates, Heavily Damages Rochester Treatment Center
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Rochester firefighters responded to an early morning fire that heavily damaged a treatment facility Monday.
A news release from the Rochester Fire Department says crews were dispatched to a fire call at Oakridge Meridian Center in the 4800 block of 48th St. Northeast shortly before 3 a.m. Crews learned that staff and residents had evacuated the building after trying to extinguish a fire that had started in the wall of the building.
The first firefighters to arrive did not find smoke coming from the front of the building, but later found an active fire in the chimney flue as well as smoke on all levels of the attic area. Officials say heat extending from the flue into a wall and ceiling space had caused moderate fire damage to a room on the first floor of the building.
Fire crews opened walls around the chimney on all levels and confirmed the fire had not spread any further. No injuries were reported.
The American Red Cross and Rochester Emergency Management responded to find temporary housing for displaced residents, most of whom are being transferred to a partnering facility. The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and Mayo Clinic Ambulance also responded to the fire.
The damage estimate of the early-morning fire is $300,000. The Rochester Fire Department says crews plan to remain on the scene to monitor the facility until the heating system near the chimney cools. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
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