Updated at: 01/04/2010 10:47 AM | KSAX.com
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Bitter Cold Causes Fire, Power Outages in Central Minnesota

BRAINERD, MINN. (AP) - A power outage caused a central Minnesota fire while temperatures hovered at 33-below zero Saturday.

Pequot Lakes Fire Chief Tom Nelson says the electric blower of a wood stove turned off during the outage at a Jenkins area home, causing the stove to overheat at about 6:40 a.m.

He told the Brainerd dispatch that three people made it out safely.  The home was a loss.

Nelson says a waterline froze, causing firefighters to use a back-up engine to supply water.

A Minnesota Power spokespersons says a downed tree likely knocked out a feeder line between Pequot Lakes and Jenkins.  About 2,700 customers were without power from around 5 a.m. until 8 a.m. Saturday.

Steve Gohde, with the National Weather Service in Duluth, expected the cold to continue through the week, although temperatures were expected to rise by about 5 to 10 degrees.