Early morning on Wednesday, Duluth firefighters faced the flames as an RV went up in a fiery spectacle in the alley of the 400 block of East Eighth Street. The Duluth Fire Department, responding to a 5:08 am call, arrived to find the vehicle fully engulfed in fire, a blaze eagerly licking at nearby power lines and threatening the exterior integrity of an adjacent structure, according to a city press release.
An individual, who was asleep inside the RV at the time of the incident, was transported to an area hospital following the inhalation of smoke and is currently being helped by the American Red Cross, the person's immediate need for a respite from the night's traumatic events having displaced them from their erstwhile home on wheels. No other injuries were reported. The damage to the RV and the slightly scorched external wall of the nearby building has been assessed to be less than $15,000, as stated in the aforementioned press release.
TWhile the cause remains under the scrutiny of officials, the fire's brutal disruption has thankfully not been compounded by any further injuries or widespread damage. The community's concerted response was supported by St. Louis County/911 dispatch, Minnesota Power, Mayo Clinic Ambulance, and the Duluth Police Department, who collectively ensured the scenario did not evolve into a larger catastrophe.
