Operations & Training

Massive Fire Collapses Part of MN Complex Under Construction

Aug. 4, 2020

St. Paul firefighters arriving at the blaze of a $69 million hotel and apartment complex under construction tackled the flames from the outside "because of the advanced stage of the fire."

By Tim Harlow

Source Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

St. Paul, MN, firefighters battled a massive blaze that erupted at a $69 million hotel and apartment complex under construction early Tuesday.

A hotel and apartment complex under construction across the street from the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul caught fire early Tuesday, and part of the structure collapsed.

Flames were shooting high into the air and the glow could be seen for miles when firefighters arrived on the scene on W. 7th Street near 5th Street about 4:20 a.m., said St. Paul Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso.

No one was inside the structure, which was "heavily involved" when crews arrived and were forced to fight the blaze from the outside because of the flames and heat, Mokosso said.

"It advanced rapidly," he said, noting the unoccupied building had exposed drywall and wood which allowed the fire to grow quickly.

Part of the structure collapsed, Mokosso said.

Firefighters were going onto roofs of nearby buildings, including Catholic Charities and the Dorothy Day Center checking for embers, according to dispatch audio.

Windows of a nearby building on W. Old 6th Street were reported to have cracked due to the intensity of heat caused by the fire, according to dispatch audio.

No injuries were reported, Mokosso said.

William Mujica, of St. Paul, woke up around 4:25 a.m. and saw the large fire "turned into flying flames," he said. "Honestly, I felt the heat from about a mile out."

By 6:30 a.m., crews had most of the fire out and were concentrating on dousing hot spots, Mokosso said.

Debris littered several streets and crews had blocked off roads in the area of the fire.

Ramps from eastbound Interstate 94 to 5th Street and northbound Interstate 35E to Kellogg Boulevard were closed for about two hours, but have reopened, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The buildings that were damaged were part of a $69 million project led by Kaeding Management Group.

It is not clear what led to the fire, Mokosso said. Investigators were on the scene and will also be studying video from nearby surveillance cameras to determine its origin, he said.

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