Neighbors take in Maple Grove family after fire displaces them
An early morning house fire on Oct. 8 in Maple Grove left a family without their home. But there was a silver lining, as neighbors across the street sprang into action.
According to Maple Grove Fire Chief Maddison Zikmund, just before 4:50 a.m. the Maple Grove Fire Department, Maple Grove Police Department and North Memorial EMS were dispatched to a house fire on the 10100 block of Shadyview Lane.
“Police arrived to find the front of the two-story house fully engulfed,” Zikmund wrote in a statement. “Fire crews arrived to begin evacuation and suppression efforts.”
The family of four that lives in the home were present during the fire and were able to escape from the home without injuries.
According to neighbor Anthony Sinople, his daughter, Julia Sinople, had awoken from a loud explosion. She said the fire inspector later said they believed it was from vehicle tires that exploded from the fire.
“My room filled up with pink and then I opened my shades and I saw the house totally engulfed in flames,” she said. “Then I ran outside. I was so happy that everyone got out safely.”
When the family came outside from the fire, they were dressed in pajamas and weren’t wearing shoes. The Sinoples have since taken in the family devastated by the fire, providing them with temporary shelter, clothing, food and support.
Julia Sinople said it took fire crews around three hours to put out the flames.
Anthony Sinople agreed that the fire was terrible and that his family has been shaken up by the events as well.
“We brought our old kids’ clothes up from the basement so the kids could have clothes and shoes to wear,” Anthony Sinople said. “We are just trying to do right by our community and help out.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help out the family. Learn more at https://www.gofundme.com/f/villiani-family-rebuild-after-devastating-house-fire
All five Maple Grove fire stations responded to the incident. The fire crews were assisted by the Rogers Fire Department and the Golden Valley Fire Department.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and remains under investigation.