Families left reeling after blaze at Edina apartment building: "My bed was on fire"
EDINA, Minn. – Families in Edina are still picking up the pieces after a devastating fire this week left many with nothing.
At least nine units were destroyed in the fire that happened Tuesday night on Barrie Road.
"Overwhelming" is how Brynn Idelkope describes her life since Tuesday, when fire spread to her condo where she and her 8-year-old daughter Ari were sleeping.
"You never think it will happen to you, and then your whole life goes up in flames," Idelkope said. "My bed was on fire ... We flew out with our pajamas on and nothing else and a coat, but that's all we had, so we lost everything unfortunately."
To make matters worse, Idelkope had just finished a costly remodeling project.
"We just got new furniture, new everything, and everything's gone," Idelkope said. "More so the memories. Picture books, her baby memories, everything's up in smoke."
She says if it wasn't for her dog Coco barking, they may not have made it out in time.
"She saved the day," Idelkope said.
Investigators believe the fire started in the second floor kitchen. The State Fire Marshal's Office says smoking and cooking are the leading causes of fires in Minnesota.
Tina and Anna also can't return to their unit, and have been sleeping at a local hotel with help from the American Red Cross.
"We grabbed our phones and our wallets and I grabbed a laptop because I knew that I had client photos on there," Anna said.
Anna is a photographer who worked from home. She doesn't know if her camera equipment is salvageable.
The neighbors both have online fundraisers and are receiving support from the community. Idelkope says her daughter's school has also been helpful in gathering clothing donations.
"I'm just glad everyone made it out safe and that no one was injured," Idelkope said. "Some minor smoke inhalation, but thankful that everyone made it out OK."
The state usually experiences the most deadly fires between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. American Red Cross volunteers are already seeing a 20% increase in fire responses so far this month, compared to last.
