Two Otter Tail County Home Fires Cause Damage, No Injuries Reported

Two homes in Otter Tail County sustained fire damage within roughly 14 hours of each other last week, with residents escaping both incidents unharmed and investigations by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office now underway.

The first fire was reported around 2:44 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at a residence off County Highway 50 in rural Deer Creek. Korie Gray, who lived at the property, called in the alarm, according to an Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office news release cited by the Wadena Pioneer Journal. Crews from the Deer Creek and Henning fire departments arrived to find smoke coming from an upstairs bedroom and contained the fire to that room. Other areas of the home sustained minor smoke damage. No injuries were reported.

Less than 15 hours later, dispatchers received a call around 4:29 a.m. Thursday, March 12, reporting a garage fire at a home on the 100 block of North Walker Avenue in New York Mills. By the time firefighters from the New York Mills and Perham fire departments arrived, flames had fully engulfed the attached garage and spread into the house. The garage was a total loss, and the home suffered significant damage. All residents evacuated safely with no injuries reported.

The cause of the New York Mills fire remains unknown, according to the Sheriff's Office. Officials say both fires are not believed to be suspicious in nature, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office is assisting Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office deputies with investigations into each incident.