BAXTER-Eighteen-year-old Brady Kline was taking a shower Thursday at his Baxter residence when the smoke detectors began going off.
Kline ran out of the bathroom, which was located in the basement, and when he did he saw flames down the hallway in the living area.
"I tried to dump some water on it because I didn't think it was that big," Kline said as he watched Brainerd firefighters extinguish the fire. "When I realized I wasn't going to be able to put it out, I grabbed my clothes and called 911."
Kline said he called his father, Vince Kline, who was at work at the time to let him know about the fire. When Vince Kline arrived home he could see all the Brainerd fire trucks, Baxter police squad cars and a North Memorial Ambulance lined up around their home on the 14000 block of Memorywood Drive. There also were neighbors watching from their yards and smoke was coming out of the house the family has lived in for 12 years.
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Brainerd firefighters received the fire call at 4:04 p.m. and about 15 firefighters responded to the structure fire.
Brainerd Fire Chief Tim Holmes said when firefighters arrived they could see flames inside the split-level house coming from the basement. He said there was smoke and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within five minutes of arrival time. He said the fire did not get into the walls.
Holmes said it appeared the fire started from an oscillating fan that must have tipped over.
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When the fire was out, firefighters ventilated the house.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
