3 out of 4 Eden Prairie fire victims released from hospital, 5 pets unaccounted for
Eden Prairie fire officials say three of the four people who were injured during an overnight fire involving two homes have been released from the hospital.
Out of the four people who had non-life-threatening injuries, two of them were children. Officials say both of the kids have been released, as well as one adult. The other adult is still being treated for burns.
According to fire officials, there are five pets still unaccounted for – two dogs and three cats.
Firefighters say flames broke out around 12:30 a.m. Friday along the 10000 block of Lee Drive. Multiple agencies were called in to help put out the fire, which was a big job, especially due to the heat.
“Our crews did an outstanding job,” said Eden Prairie Fire Chief Scott Gerber.
Gerber says the victims who were injured made it out of the two burning homes, but they had mild or moderate injuries.
Neighbors say they heard loud booms just before seeing the flames, and that it was a scary site to see. In addition, the surrounding neighborhood was evacuated as a precaution for a brief period of time.
“A huge bang, like a firecracker or dynamite, and then went outside and then another bang,” said neighbor Steve Hunt. “Looks like they got the fire out quickly – I bet 10-15 minutes – it’s extinguished though, so those flames were shooting up 30 yards I bet.”
Hunt added a glass was knocked off a table inside his home.
Now, cleanup work begins as investigators work to figure out what caused the two homes to burn.
“I can’t tell you 100%, but likely, one of the structures ignited from the first structure that was started as well,” said Gerber.
Both of the homes had significant damage due to the fire, which also affected other buildings in the vicinity.