Two residential buildings and a garage with several vehicles caught fire late Wednesday along a main south Minneapolis thoroughfare and continued burning for hours, leaving about 50 people displaced from their homes
Dozens displaced after large fire ravages 2 residential buildings, garage in south Minneapolis
Three people reported minor injuries from the blaze, which struck several buildings along the 5600 block of Lyndale Avenue S. About 50 residents have been displaced.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 10, 2024 at 3:26PM
The fire in the 5600 block of Lyndale Avenue S. left two firefighters and a civilian with minor injuries, said Assistant Minneapolis Fire Chief Melanie Rucker.
Fire officials have yet to address what caused the blaze.
The low-cost residential motel, Metro Inn, is operated by the nonprofit Agate Housing and Services. Agate said in a statement that 16 of the motel’s 38 units were “damaged beyond quick repair.”
According to the Fire Department, crews were dispatched shortly before 11:30 p.m. in response to a garage on fire with several vehicles inside. Flames from the fully engulfed garage spread to two adjacent structures, a three-story residential building and the motel. Firefighters got all of the residents out of the buildings.
“The garage and cars burned completely to the ground,” a Fire Department statement said. “There was a roof collapse of the three-story residential apartment building and a partial roof collapse of the residential motel.”
Fire crews left once they were confident all the flames were doused, but returned to extinguish a rekindling in one of the motel units.
One resident was treated at the scene and taken by emergency medical responders to HCMC for a respiratory problem. Two firefighters were hospitalized for injuries to their joints.
The Red Cross and the Salvation Army are assisting the residents affected by the fire.
Kyle Hanson, Agate’s executive director, said Metro Inn’s residents “are safe, but this is a traumatic experience. And now they are at even greater risk of becoming homeless. It’s a terrible situation.”
Hanson said that finding new homes for the people displaced by the fire is Agate’s next task.
“Agate’s work is about supporting those who face homelessness,” he said. “We will do everything in our power to ensure those who live in these facilities have a safe place to live.”
Susan Du contributed to this report.
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