Update -- Hudson home suffers extensive fire damage

• Brief rest before the next round

Firefighters from Hudson, Lower St. Croix and Lake Elmo take a breather before resuming the challenge of extinguishing smoldering fire in the second story of a home at 816 10th St. in Hudson Friday
• Last embers

A Hudson firefighter uses a pike pole to tear out portions of a porch ceiling as crews worked to extinguish the last of a house fire at 816 10th St. Friday afternoon.
• Still smoldering

Smoke was still rising from the rear of a 10th Street home nearly two hours after Hudson firefighters got the first call of flames.

Talk about it

Fire caused extensive damage to a home owned by Dorothy A. Olson at 816 10th St. Friday afternoon. The two-story home had flames shooting through the roof and windows when fire fighters arrived at about 2:15 p.m.

Hudson Fire Chief Jim Frye said the cause of the fire involved combustible materials too close to a heat source.

“The fire started in the main floor bedroom,” Frye said. “Dorothy heard the smoke alarm and went to a bedroom to awake her grandson who lives with her.”

He said the pair called the fire department and attempted to douse the flames themselves, but were unsuccessful. Olson and her grandson left the structure and the flames spread rapidly.

Hudson fire fighters immediately began calling for assistance. Before the afternoon ended, departments responded from River Falls, Roberts/Warren, Lower St. Croix Valley, Bayport and Lake Elmo.

“We needed manpower,” Frye said. Volunteer departments in suburban areas are often a bit short-handed on weekday afternoons because many fire fighters work in the Twin Cities. Complicating matters Friday was that it was the day after Thanksgiving, leaving volunteer departments a bit more short-handed.

“I appreciate all the fire fighters who helped,” Frye said.

He said it was a tough, stubborn blaze to get under control.

“There were some hot spots that were hard to get to,” Frye said. “The house has been remodeled and added on to over the years.”

For more information and photos see the Dec. 4 edition of the Star-Observer.

Tags: house, fire, hudson, wisconsin