Apartment Smoke, Burnt Tea Draw Out Edina Firefighters

The  responded to the following incidents during the week of May 9-15:

May 9

• Smoke was reported coming from an apartment in the 7200 block of York Avenue, fire alarms were also activated. Police and Fire arrived and observed smoke coming from a window. No one answered the door so the fire department forced entry to find an unattended pan of charred food on the stove smoking. The apartment and hallways were ventilated and fire alarms were restored. Richfield and St Louis Park fire departments had been requested for possible mutual aid, but were cancelled en route. 

• Nine responses for Emergency Medical Service by paramedic firefighters.

• Two false fire alarms were investigated.

May 10

• Burnt tea was the cause of a fire alarm and reported smoke coming from an apartment in the 4100 block of Parklawn Avenue. The resident had opened the door to the apartment setting off the smoke alarms in the hallway.

• 13 EMS responses by paramedics.

• Firefighters responded to assist a homeowner who reported gas leaking from the LP tank on her barbeque grill in the 5900 block of Tamarac Lane. Firefighters moved the tank and secured it away from the house, then removing it at the homeowner’s request.

• A burnt smell was reported by an occupant of a building on the 5000 block of Vernon Avenue. Firefighters checked the building with a thermal imaging camera for possible sources and found a burnt motor on one of the furnace blowers to be the cause. A HVAC technician arrived and confirmed the problem. The gas and power to the furnace was shut off until the technician replaces the motor. 

• There was one false fire alarm response.

May 11

• Nine EMS incidents.

• One false fire alarm.

May 12

• Nine EMS responses by paramedics.

• Paramedics responded to a motor vehicle crash in Eden Prairie and assisted with injuries at the request of Hennepin County Ambulance. 

• A burning odor was reported by a resident in the 5600 block of Brookview Avenue. The homeowner found that a hot teakettle was placed on top of a plastic plate and removed it. Firefighters arrived and found the odor had dissipated and no other source for the odor. 

• A carbon alarm malfunction was checked in the 7400 block of Edinborough Way. 

• Two false fire alarms were investigated.

May 13

• 10 EMS incidents.

• The smell of natural gas was reported in the area of the 6900 block of Normandale Road. Firefighters arrived and found the gas company working in the area purging gas from lines for construction of West 70th Street. Gas company crews reported the work would continue and the odor present off and on all day, but they would be monitoring for hazards. 

May 14

• 12 EMS incident responses.

• An electrical burning odor was reported at a home on Spur Road.  Firefighters investigated and found a charred circuit board inside the furnace. Power and gas was shut off to furnace.

• A smell of natural gas was reported in the area of West 50th Street and France Avenue. No odor was present when firefighters arrived; they checked the area and found no hazards. 

• Three false fire alarms were reported.

May 15

• Seven EMS calls.

• The smell of natural gas was reported outside a business in the 7100 block of Amundson Avenue. All areas in the building were checked with gas monitors and no levels of gas were found. Firefighters set and climbed ladders to the roof. The gas monitors were used to find elevated levels of gas and carbon monoxide coming from a roof top heater vent. The power to the unit was shut off at the breaker and will remain off until the unit is serviced. 

• One false fire alarm was investigated.