Fire damages bedroom of rural Atwater home
ATWATER -- A fire in the upstairs bedroom Saturday afternoon damaged a dresser, a television and memorabilia at the Vicky Litzau home of rural Atwater, said Atwater Fire Chief Gerald Schwartz.
He said Litzau, her children and other children were home when the fire activated smoke detectors shortly after 1 p.m. Fire damage was limited to the bedroom because Litzau closed the bedroom door.
"She did the right thing,'' said Schwartz. "She knew that the fire was bad because of the smoke and she shut the door to the bedroom, so that saved a lot.''
Schwartz said Litzau got everyone out of the two-story house at 19550 First Ave. E. No one was injured. The family took shelter in a shop garage, and later with relatives.
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Firefighters were called at 1:06 p.m. and were on the scene for about an hour. The Kandiyohi Fire Department was called under mutual aid to provide a tanker for water supply.
Schwartz said the cause of the fire that burned between the dresser and the wall was undetermined. He said the size of the fire was small, but the heat caused two-thirds of a television and figurines on a lamp to melt. The hallway received smoke damage.
"There was a tremendous amount of heat in the room,'' said Schwartz. "Fortunately everyone got out because if they wouldn't have, it wouldn't have been good.''
Smoke could be seen coming from the windows when firefighters arrived. Firefighters probably used fewer than 5 gallons of water to extinguish the fire, according to Schwartz. "It was wetter outside where the hoses were connected together than where it was inside the house,'' he said.
Schwartz reported Litzau said she didn't believe that the smoke alarms worked because they hadn't gone off lately.
"I'm glad they worked for her. It's a good reminder for everybody else this time of year -- anytime -- check 'em,'' he said.
-- David Little
Theft
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WILLMAR -- A 1997 Plymouth parked in the 600 block of Ann Street Southeast was forcibly entered and a Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo was taken, Willmar police said. The theft was reported Sunday.
