Several propane tanks exploded during a large fire early Friday at a homeless encampment in downtown St. Paul.
Seven tents were damaged in the blaze that broke out about 2 a.m. in Kellogg Park on the south end of downtown, said St. Paul Fire Department Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso.
About 30 firefighters from five stations spent about an hour putting out the fire, which moved quickly through the park on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Preliminary information indicates the fire was an accident, Mokosso said.
"Investigators suspect the use of open flames for heating near easily combustible material as the potential cause of the fire," he said.
Friday's fire comes as city officials are preparing to close eight homeless encampments in the city, including the one at Kellogg Park, and relocate residents to shelters starting next week. They cite a risk of fires and exposure to the cold for the impending closures.
The fire department has responded to Kellogg Park 17 times for fire emergencies and 75 times for emergency medical calls for service so far this year, Mokosso said.
There are seven other encampments across the city. Crews have responded to 30 out-of-control fires this year at camps where propane cylinders and other flammable heat sources have caught fire, officials said.
