Water ran down the gutters of 17th Avenue in Southeast Como after Minneapolis Fire Department firefighters extinguished a house fire Saturday afternoon. Six fire trucks and about 30 firefighters crowded the streets surrounding 1082 17th Ave. SE in the hours after the blaze. By 1:30 p.m. there was no smoke nor flames, but the smell of ash and charred wood filled the air near the house, now sporting several broken windows and a large hole revealing the attic. Three University of Minnesota students live at the house, according to owner and landlord Tim Buffham. Buffham said he walked through the three story house several hours later to survey the damage. Though the fire lasted less than two hours, it was enough to render much of the house irreparable. âÄúThe house right now is pretty much uninhabitable,âÄù Buffham said. âÄúTwo-thirds of the second floor and half of the third are destroyed.âÄù Onlooker Tom Grathwol, a Minnetonka resident, watched the events unfold from just a few houses down. Smoke began to billow out of the house around 11 a.m. when a resident ran out its front door to escape, Grathwol said. By the time firefighters arrived at the scene, the house was up in flames. Firefighters arrived on the scene and began entering the house at 11:47 a.m., said Cherie Penn, MFD Deputy Chief. Shortly after, the extinguishing was going along as planned until a pocket of oxygen fed the relatively small flames. The flames flashed over, giving two firefighters second and third-degree burns, Penn said. One of those firefighters fell out of a window. Both firefighters were transported to Hennepin County Medical Center. They are currently in stable condition at the HCMC Burn Center, Penn said. She reported no other injuries caused by the fire. Penn said the flames were cleared by about 1 p.m., but had no idea as to the cause of the fire. Check Wednesday’s Daily for the full story.