MINNEAPOLIS — At house fires like the one Tuesday morning on South Pleasant Avenue, Minneapolis Fire sends twice as many firefighters so they can rotate more often and keep warm.
And when needed in the cold, Metro Transit sends a bus.
"That we can kind of use as a warming house for our firefighters when they are on their rotations," said Assistant Chief Bryan Tyner with Minneapolis Fire.
The scene gets dangerously slippery in these below-zero temps, partly because they can't turn off the hoses once they are running.
"We have to keep them running or else the water will freeze inside them," Tyner said.
But they are able to use fire hydrants regardless of the temps. And they go to work expecting that they might get called to assist other stations more than during nice weather.
Cooking fires are always the most common cause of house fires, Tyner said, but MFD is warning people about space heaters and warning against attempting to heat with ovens or stovetops.
Tyner recommends keeping space heaters three feet from anything flammable at all times, and turning them off if you leave the house.