Fire Destroys Home on Edgewood Drive in Town of Hudson

A home in the 300 block of Edgewood Drive in the town of Hudson is being considered a complete loss following a blaze that broke out Thursday afternoon.

The Hudson Fire Department was called to the fire at about 3:20 p.m. on July 18, and when the assistant fire chief arrived on the scene flames were coming through the roof, Hudson Fire Chief Jim Frye said. No one was injured.

The home is owned by Mark and Jennifer Lukas.

The blaze caused about $200,000 to the structure and about $125,000 damage to personal belongings, Frye said.

Two people were in the house when the fire broke out, Frye said. A neighbor who was driving home saw the smoke and flames and called 911.

When the neighbor approached the home, the two people inside the house were coming out the door, Frye said. The three people were able to move a few belongings away from the fire.

Frye said it appears the fire started on the exterior of the home, but the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Firefighters battled extreme heat during the blaze, and because of that it changed the way fire departments responded, Frye said.

“We called in plenty of help right away because of the heat,” Frye said. “We had to be careful of heat exhaustion. People don’t hold up well in that heat, and then to put on the heavy clothing and fight a fire, you go through people fast.”

The Town of St. Joseph, Roberts, River Falls, Lower St. Croix Valley, Bayport and Lake Elmo fire departments provided mutual aid at the scene. Unite Fire covered Hudson’s calls while firefighters were on the scene.

Extra EMS crews also responded to the scene to make sure firefighters didn’t fall victim to heat stroke.

The American Red Cross made arrangements for the family to stay at a local hotel for the night, Frye said. Firefighters cleared the scene at about 6:15 p.m.

“Responders did a great job,” Frye said. Folks on both the fire and EMS did a great job to make sure everyone went home. It’s tough to fight fires in that kind of heat.”