July 20 – A home in Gnesen Township is considered a total loss, the result of an early morning fire. The blaze was reported around 2:30 a.m. in the 3600 block of Echo Lane. The occupants were able to safely evacuate after the home’s smoke detectors started alarming. One adult female was evaluated and treated for possible smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported. The Gnesen, Rice Lake, Normanna, Lakewood, Canosia, North Star, and Minnesota Air National Guard fire departments were dispatched, along with the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service. The cause of the fire is not considered suspicious, but is being investigated in cooperation with the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
