The fire began at 911 Minnesota St. in a Victorian-style home, according to fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge. A male occupant was sleeping at the home when he was woken by the sound of the smoke detector, Talmadge said.
The man attempted to go to another room where he believed his elderly mother might be, but the smoke and flames forced him to exit, according to Talmadge.
An off-duty firefighter saw the smoke as he was driving nearby and went to assist the occupant.
When firefighters arrived just after 10 a.m., the blaze was upgraded to two alarms. The fire spread to the two neighboring residences at 909 and 913 Minnesota St.
Firefighters looked for the mother of the occupant but were unable to locate her and he admitted she might be at church, Talmadge said. The occupant was transported to an area hospital, along with a firefighter who sustained a knee injury, according to Talmadge.
Firefighters were able to get the fire contained by 11:05 a.m. and controlled by 11:43 a.m.
Talmadge said 909 Minnesota St. received minor damage but 913 Minnesota St. had heavy damage after the back of the building had to be opened up for firefighter access.
The occupants of 913 Minnesota St. were displaced but are not accepting assistance from Red Cross, Talmadge said. The occupants of the home where the fire began also are displaced, Talmadge said, but it is unknown if they will need assistance.
The cause of the fire and the value of the damage have not been determined, explained Talmadge.
