Two die after South Fargo house fire

Early morning fire at 1418 Second Avenue South where Fargo firefighters combated freezing temperatures

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Two people die in a house fire in South Fargo.

Crews were called around 5:00 Wednesday morning to 1418 Second Avenue South.

One person found in the home died after being rushed to the hospital. A second body was found once firefighters were able to search the house. Firefighters had trouble entering the home due to partial collapse of the roof and floor, which slowed down the search. Things in the home didn’t help.

“When you’re trying to get to a fire that’s in void spaces, you gotta work your way around that so we had to switch some tactics and everything to fight from the exterior to using ladders and windows and that type of stuff,” Fargo Fire Marshal Ryan Erickson said.

Fargo Fire Department responded with five engines, one truck and two battalion chiefs.

“The crews were there working from 5, 5:15 until 8:30, 9 o’clock. It took several hours to get it all extinguished,” Erickson says.

Multiple units were called out to assist firefighters in freezing temperatures.

“Cold always makes it a little more difficult. It’s taxing on equipment and also on people so we got to rotate crews. We didn’t have any failures of equipment but we do have to keep things rotating and obviously you can’t leave hoses laying on the ground for a long period of time or they will freeze in place,” said Erickson.

The cause of the fire is unknown and the investigation is ongoing.