Suspect arrested in connection with dumpster fires along Lake Street stretching toward Uptown

Officials in Minneapolis said Monday that they have arrested a man they suspect set numerous overnight fires in dumpsters along several blocks of Lake Street stretching toward Uptown in Minneapolis.

Fire crews arrived at the 900 block of W. Lake Street near Colfax Avenue at about 3:25 a.m. Monday and found a large dumpster ablaze behind a building with a business on the ground level and apartments on the second floor, fire officials said.

Flames extended into the building and to an electrical transformer that was arcing and sparking, a Minneapolis Fire Department statement read. Fire personnel entered and saw damage in the residential units from the flames and smoke in the business. No injuries were reported.

While that blaze was being doused, additional fire crews were sent to several dumpster fires a few blocks to the west in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of W. Lake Street, the Fire Department said.

An employee of one business extinguished the dumpster fires and spared buildings any damage, the Fire Department statement read.

One person who works in that area and fire personnel saw someone setting the fires, the statement continued. Police arrived and arrested a man.

Officials have yet to disclose a motive for the suspicious blazes.