From the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
 
The Shoreview home of Herb Brooks, the hockey coach best known for the gold
medal U. S. hockey team in the 1980 Olympics, suffered extensive damage from
an attic fire Saturday evening.
The fire broke out as Brooks was trying to thaw frozen water pipes.  The
fire caused extensive damage to the attic of the home and significant water
damage on the first and second floors.  The stairs leading to the second
floor were covered in icicles and mud.
The fire started about 5:15 p.m.   Brooks said he was trying to thaw frozen
pipes in an upstairs closet, fearing water damage if the pipes burst.  He
decided to use a propane torch after he tried a hair dryer.
He said the flame must have hit a piece of debris, ignited, and a draft
carried it up a wall.
"It was absolutely stupid," Brooks said Saturday night.  "I've done a lot of
stupid things, but this ..."
Brooks burned his right hand trying to put out the fire in his 60 year old
home on Turtle Lake.
It took about 45 minutes to knock down the fire, said Dan Winkel, Lake
Johanna fire chief.  More than 100 firefighters from several departments
helped control the fire.  Ice covered the roof and icicles hung from broken
windows of the beige home.  Steam could be seen coming from the burned
through holes in the roof.
The roof will have to be replaced, and the Brooks family will not be able to
live in the house for several months.
Brooks coached the 1980 U. S. Olympic hockey team through the "Miracle on
Ice" game that ended in victory over a heavily favored Russian team.  Brooks
also coached the Minnesota Gophers' hockey team to three NCAA titles.
Seeking temporary shelter at a neighbors home, Brooks joked about the water
the firefighters used to save his house.
"The place, it's a skating rink in there," he said.
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 [log in to unmask]         John J. Feigal           Go Gophers!