3 minutes

Dennis Katsnelson

After a fire broke out in the basement of a south Moorhead home shortly before noon on Friday, one family was forced to flee the home. According to Moorhead Fire Battalion Chief Benton Hicks, a crew responded to a report of smoke and fire from a basement window in the southeast corner of the home at 4523 Blue Stem Way. On arrival, firefighters were met with a heavy fire, but they were able to extinguish the fire within three minutes of entering the house.

Fortunately, no one was in the house at the time of the fire. However, the family who rented the house was forced to leave the house indefinitely due to heavy smoke throughout the house, as well as significant fire damage in the basement. The fire damage was so severe that the fire was visible from the outside as it spread to the second floor of the house.

The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time and is being investigated by the fire marshal, and the Fargo Fire Department, Sanford Ambulance and Moorhead Police are also on the scene.