Overnight house fire in Stearns County under investigation
(Stearns County Sheriff's Office)
Authorities are working to determine the cause of a house fire in Stearns County early Thursday morning.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says a house caught fire along Highway 4 shortly after midnight.
The Freeport, Melrose and Sauk Centre fire departments responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. However, the sheriff’s office says the home has heavy smoke and fire damage.
The two people inside were able to evacuate with their dogs safely and weren’t injured. One of the occupants told authorities he awoke to smoke alarms going off and noticed smoke coming from the basement. He then woke up his roommate and called the police.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.