Two calls of a fire at 1226-6th Ave. SW were received by the Minot Fire Department over the weekend. The first call came at 11:39 p.m. Saturday. The caller reported the flood-damaged, gutted house next to hers was on fire. Responding units reported that accelerant could be smelled at the location and the fire marshal was notified. The fire was extinguished before midnight Saturday.
A second call of a fire at the same house was received at 6:52 a.m. Sunday. Responding units discovered the one-story structure completely engulfed in flames. A neighboring home was evacuated as a precaution.
A fire department spokesman said fire inspectors did a complete check of the home, including an investigation for arson. The home was owned by Robert and Kathryn Peterson, who relocated elsewhere in Minot after the flood. They said they have been in the process of closing on a sale to the city under the voluntary buyout program.
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Kim Fundingsland/MDN
A fire of unknown origin destroyed this home at 1226-6th Ave. SW Sunday morning. The home was vacant with no electrical or natural gas service at the residence. It is located adjacent to the Souris River and was flooded in 2011. It had been gutted and on the list of potential buyouts by the City of Minot to make way for changes to flood protection.
"We are just blessed that we had everything out of there. We are blessed that nobody was hurt," Kathryn Pederson said.
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