Child’s Attempt to Burn Mattress Sparks Major Garage Fire in Kimball

KIMBALL (WJON News) -- A garage and all of its contents are considered a total loss after an early morning fire in Stearns County.

Sheriff's deputies and Kimball firefighters were dispatched to 50 Cherry Street South in Kimball at around 4:15 a.m. Thursday morning. The caller reported their neighbor's garage was on fire and it was spreading to nearby trees. Authorities say another nearby garage was also starting to catch fire.

The occupants of the home were able to safely escape before the fire departments from Kimball and Watkins put out the blaze.

The sheriff's office says the cause of the fire was accidental when a minor child tried to dispose of a mattress by burning it in the garage. He believed he had put out the flames by putting water on the mattress and returned to the house.

The fire was discovered when the homeowner's dog was barking, and he looked outside to see the garage engulfed in flames.

The garage and its contents, including a vehicle, are considered a total loss.