Bemidji fire forces evacuations, damages several homes and garages

A fast-moving fire on Bixby Avenue forced every home on the block to evacuate after flames tore through a house and garage in Bemidji and an explosion-like blast shook the neighborhood.

First responders arrived around 2:30 p.m. on April 16 to find the fire burning between the 15th and 16th blocks of Bixby Avenue. Law enforcement at the scene said no one was home when the fire started, and no injuries were reported, but the heat and force of the blaze damaged several nearby structures before crews brought it under control.

Neighbors said the fire escalated with startling speed. Rob Kittleson, one of the nearby residents, described a loud boom that shook his garage. Angela Haasch and Taneshia Drouillard were among those who saw how quickly the flames spread through the residential block, with one neighboring garage going from flame to frame in minutes. The blast and the rapid spread turned what began as a house fire into a neighborhood emergency, with residents forced out while firefighters worked to keep the flames from moving farther down the block.

The fire drew a substantial local response, and that is no surprise in a city where the Bemidji Fire Department handles an average of more than 1,200 emergency calls a year. The department serves Bemidji, Wilton, Turtle River and 15 surrounding townships, with a mix of full-time and paid on-call firefighters whose mission is to protect lives and property. Beltrami County Emergency Communications also staffs 911 dispatch for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services 24 hours a day, giving crews a central system for fast response when a neighborhood blaze threatens homes.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation. For residents along Bixby Avenue, the immediate concern was the sudden loss of safety on a quiet block and the close call that kept the damage from becoming even worse.