At Least Five Fires Keep MN Firefighters Busy over Eight Hours

Minneapolis firefighters were kept busy late Monday and early Tuesday as they tackled at least five fires over an eight-hour span.

Crews responded to the first fire in the string of calls at about 6:30 p.m. Monday, WCCO-TV reports. That fire broke out near the back porch at a vacant home that had been the site of several previous fires.

A detached garage in an alley in the city's northeast section caught fire just before 11 p.m., and firefighters were able to stop it from spreading to neighboring homes. Crews then needed to return to the vacant home about a half hour later after the structure began burning again.

The largest, most damaging fire happened just before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, when two detached garages in an alley erupted into flames. Crews were able to keep that fire contained, but intense heat from the flames damaged two nearby houses, and residents were evacuated as a precaution.

Finally, firefighters knocked down a grain elevator fire on the city's south side, using an aerial to attack the flames from above.

No injuries were reported during the calls, and the cause of the fires are under investigation.

Earlier in the day, firefighters also were called to a church that caught fire at about 4:30 a.m., according to the Star-Tribune.