ST PAUL, Minn. — A historic brick building in St. Paul will be demolished Wednesday afternoon after it was gutted by a dangerous and unpredictable fire hours earlier.
The fire started around 3 a.m. at the 900 block of University Ave. West. Firefighters entered the multi-use structure upon arrival to search for residents but flames quickly became so intense that crews had to evacuate the building.
St. Paul Deputy Fire Chief Roy Mokosso told reporters that conditions switched so rapidly that a firefighter found himself trapped in the basement, an extremely dangerous situation. That firefighter sent out a mayday call, activating a Rapid Intervention Rescue team. McKosso said concerns were raised when two other firefighters didn't respond to radio calls, but it turns out those two were helping the firefighter who was trapped escape the building.
"The difficulty they had getting out was because stuff had shifted, covering their hand lines and shutting the door behind them," Mokosso explained. "The firefighter who was having difficulty called a mayday, and two other firefighters who were in the general area, they all worked together to get out."
Mokosso noted that all St. Paul firefighters have recently undergone hours of training in Rapid Intervention rescues and self-extrication. None of the three suffered injuries, he said.
One woman was forced to escape the fire by jumping out her window, witnesses told KARE 11's CeCe Gaines, who was on the scene Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported.
Signs on the building indicated it was once a video or novelty shop, but neighbors say it has been months since they were in operation.
"Someone texted me this morning the building is on fire across the street from the shop," said Ray Schlegel, who owns Economy Muffler across N Milton St. "It's a total loss for sure."
The lower part of the building contained at least one business while the top floor is made up of apartments. Deputy Chief Mokosso said one apartment was vacant, confirming a resident in the other was able to safely escape.
The stubborn fire kept rekindling through the morning hours, requiring St. Paul fire crews to keep a steady stream of water on the building. They also sprayed water on an empty building next door to keep it from igniting.
Operations were winding down with the arrival of daylight. Images of the scene showed the building completely gutted. Members of St. Paul's Department of Safety Inspectors went over the structure and determined it had to come down.
Investigators will try to determine a cause for the fire. Mokosso says it appears to have started in the basement, but determining what happened will be difficult as the building collapsed in layers, making it hard to differentiate how and where the fire started.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
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