Fourth Street home damaged by fire

• Alexander and Colleen Lapinski residence after fire

Windows of the Alexander and Colleen Lapinski residence at 926 Fourth St. are boarded up after it was damaged by fire during the early morning of Dec. 26. Photo by Randy Hanson

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Christmas ended on a sour note for Alexander and Colleen Lapinski.

Just before 2 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, Al Lapinski was awakened by a hissing sound and the smell of natural gas in his vintage, two-story house at 926 Fourth St.

According to a Hudson Fire Department report, Lapinski went downstairs to investigate and detected the sound coming from the area of the laundry room.

He returned to the second floor, awoke his wife and daughter, and they fled the house. Moment later, it was on fire.

The damage was extensive enough that no one was residing in the home as of earlier this week. Calls to the residence were answered by a busy signal.

An area of second-floor siding at the rear of the home was blackened by the flames and particle board covers all but one of the windows on the south side.

Hudson Fire Chief Jim Frye said the house can be repaired, however.

The laundry room, kitchen and dining room sustained fire damage, he said, but the framework remains solid.

“Early notification was the important part,” Frye said. “They were able to detect it early and make the call for help.”

He said the Hudson Fire Department was on the scene until 4:10 a.m. and was assisted by the Lower St. Croix Valley, River Falls and Roberts departments.

Efforts to contact the Lapinskis were unsuccessful.

Tags: news, fires, hudson