RCFD Responds to Early Morning Fire

Lemmon Ave fire was 50^th call for service during 24 hour shift

Rapid City, S.D. – At 4:47 this morning, crews from four Rapid City Fire Department stations were dispatched to a report of a structure fire at 714 Lemmon Avenue in Rapid City. Rapid City Police Department officers were on scene moments before RCFD units arrived and reported the structure to be fully involved with subjects still unaccounted for. When fire crews arrived, they had heavy fire conditions coming from nearly all of the doors and windows of the single family dwelling.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to stop the forward progress of the fire. During that time, police officers and firefighters were able to locate and account for all occupants of the home. One individual was transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries. That individual will remain unidentified to protect their privacy. No other injuries to occupants or firefighters were reported. Crews continued mop-up and overhaul operations until about 6:30 this morning.

Four occupants of the residence have been displaced by the fire. The American Red Cross serving Central and Western South Dakota was called to assist the occupants with immediate needs.

The Rapid City Fire Department’s Fire and Life Safety Division and the Rapid City Police Department are investigating the cause and circumstances surrounding the fire.

The Lemmon Avenue fire was the 50^th call for service for the Rapid City Fire Department during what proved to be a busy and, at times, intense 24-hour Thanksgiving shift. Rapid City’s C-Shift Firefighters responded to a total of 51 calls during the shift. During the shift– which started at 7:00 am Thursday morning– firefighters responded to two structure fires. One fire was confined to the stove area and was one of three burned turkeys that the department responded to during the shift. The crew from Station 6 provided mutual aid to the Rockerville Fire Department for a wildland fire in the Teepee Gulch area. In addition to the structure and wildland fires, crews responded to three cardiac arrests, two serious motor vehicle crashes, a gas leak, and a number of various medical calls, fire alarms, crashes and miscellaneous calls for service. The 51 calls resulted in 82 unit responses.

For questions regarding this release, please contact Lt. Jim Bussell, Public Information Officer for the Rapid City Fire Department, at 605-394-4180.

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RCFD Units Responding: Truck 1, Squad 1, Battalion 1, Medic 1, Engine 7, Medic 7, Truck 3, Engine 4

Other Agencies Responding: Rapid City Police Department, Montana Dakota Utilities, Black Hills Energy, City of Rapid City Water Department, American Red Cross serving Central and Western South Dakota