By Jessica Lee
Crews respond to early-morning fire at Alliance Steel
Fire officials say they believe a spark caused the blaze.
February 19, 2015 at 12:51AM
Minneapolis crews battled an intense fire at Alliance Steel on St. Anthony Parkway into the early hours of Wednesday morning, amid sub-zero temperatures.
About 40 firefighters responded to the incident at the steel manufacturing plant around 1 a.m., rotating shifts throughout the fire's one-hour progression.
A cutting tool produced the spark, and when firefighters arrived to the warehouse scene, they responded to reports of an aluminum pile burning inside, according to a release from the city's fire department.
Combustible metal was too close to where work was being done, the release said.
Water lines and crews' equipment froze, and Salvation Army staff and a Metro Transit bus arrived to help keep the firefighters warm and nourished.
The incident's area was cleared around sunrise, 7 a.m., and there were no reports of injuries.
Authorities did not have an estimate for the cost of the damage.
Jessica Lee is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.
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