A house fire that occurred early Wednesday morning in Merrill resulted in the complete loss of a single-family home.
At 2:28am, Merrill Fire Rescue and Le Mars Fire-Rescue were called to a structure fire on Frost Street. According to Merrill Fire Rescue Chief Jacob Conley, the fire was reported by a neighbor who witnessed flames coming from the home. The sole occupant had been woken up from a smoke alarm and managed to get out safely.
Although access was restricted due to a loss of roof integrity, crews were still able to make an aggressive knockdown of the fire. No injuries were reported, and the structure is a complete loss. A preliminary cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Le Mars Fire-Rescue also responded to another fire two hours earlier at Scooters Meats in Brunsville. A smoker caused a fire in the attic of the building, but was quickly brought under control, with no injuries reported.
