Describing the last three nights as "a challenging time," Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel said he's worried about the safety of firefighters as they handle the fires that have erupted during protests following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd during an encounter with police.
"We have to really consider the safety of our firefighters in those areas, so we're being very, very cautious," he told CNN's Don Lemon during an interview Thursday night.
As he was interviewed, Lemon appeared to inform Fruetel about the fire that was started at the city's Third Police Precinct station, which was where the officers involved in Floyd's death were stationed and a focus of the protests.
"I apologize, I just came from another fire, you have the advantage of real-time and I'm not seeing that, so if that is the case then they have made entry into the building and obviously the building is on fire," the chief said.
In responding to the different incidents, which also have spread to neighboring St. Paul, Fruetel said crews have had projectiles thrown at them. Rocks also have been thrown through the windows of his work vehicle..
"It's a challenging time right now for us, Don, I'll be honest with you," he said.
What has made the last few nights even more difficult is that the department has been short staffed, given "the way we've defined our response at the present time," Fruetel said. Task forces have been set up, and firefighters will continue to respond to emergencies, he added.
"We've broken it down. We have a plan in place," he said.
