Resident Injured in St. Paul Apartment Fire

June 30 – One person suffered smoke inhalation after an apartment fire early Thursday in St. Paul.

Firefighters were called to the 300 block of Dewey Street N. around 2:15 a.m. and Engine 14 arrived to find heavy smoke on the first floor of the three-story apartment building.

A pre-connect was stretched and the fire was quickly contained to the apartment where the fire broke out.

Additional crews checked the upper floors for fire extension. None was found.

Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said the fire broke out when a resident fell asleep while cooking.

“The fire was confined to the stove top and the cabinet,” he said.

The occupant was transported to the hospital by Medic 22 for treatment of smoke inhalation.

St. Paul Firefighters Work Extended Extrication

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

June 27 – St. Paul firefighters worked for close to 45 minutes to free two men who were trapped after their car struck a tree Monday night.

Around 10 p.m., firefighters were called to a reported accident with multiple injuries on Smith Avenue and Curtice Street. Dispatchers advised fire units that police were on scene and that extrication was required.

Engine 15 and Medic 6 arrived found a four-door car with the driver’s side wrapped around a tree with the driver and rear passenger’s side occupant trapped. Two others had escaped the vehicle and command requested a squad and an additional medic.

Firefighter’s cut and removed the roof, cut several doors and pulled the dashboard up.

After close to 45 minutes, firefighter freed the two men from the mangled wreck.

The four occupants were transported to area hospitals and their conditions are unknown.

• Initial Assignment: Engines 8 and 15, Ladder 8 and Medics 6, 8. Special Called: Squad 3, Medic 10 and Chief 2.

 

Fire Damages Garage in Frogtown

June 22 – Fire damaged a garage in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon.

Around 5:30 p.m. units were called to the corner of Marion Street and University Avenue for a detached garage fire.

The dispatcher came back, saying that several 9-1-1 calls were received and that police officers found the fire on Aurora Avenue near Marion.

Engine 18 found heavy smoke showing from a one-car garage.

According to scanner traffic, Engine 18 stretched a pre-connect and Squad 1 took a backup hoseline.

Engine 22 was assigned to water supply and Ladder 18 opened the structure.

The fire was placed under control in about 10 minutes.

• Assignment: Engines 18 and 22, Ladder 18, Squad 1 and Chief 2

St. Paul Firefighter Falls Down Elevator Shaft at Brewery Fire

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cites Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cites Fire Wire Photo

June 21 – A St. Paul firefighter suffered minor injuries after falling down an elevator shaft at Stroh’s Brewery on Tuesday night. He was battling one of two fires in the vacant complex.

Fire crews were called to the complex, at 707 E. Minnehaha Ave.,  just before 9 p.m. for a lightning strike with smoke showing from the complex.

Engine 4 arrived to find smoke showing from a two-story building on the Southwest side of the facility. Firefighters found  rubbish burning and quickly contained the smoky fire.

Shortly after that was knocked down, crews found smoke coming from a four-story building across the alley, Chief Tim Butler told Twin Cities Fire Wire.

Command requested two additional engines to assist with water supply and additional personnel. Crews had to stretch several hundred feet of hose from the street to the fire buildings.

When crews forced their way inside the building, they found heavy smoke on all floors. Crews began opening up the building from the exterior to perform ventilation.

As firefighters searched for the seat of the fire a veteran firefighter fell about 15 feet down an elevator shaft.

He was removed from the shaft and was examined at the scene. He suffered minor cuts and bruises and was taken to the hospital for further examination.

“We were very lucky tonight,” Butler said after the fire was out. “This could have been a whole lot worse.”

Firefighters continued to search for the fire. It was located in the basement and was brought under control.

As heavy rain pushed through the metro area, St. Paul firefighters packed up several hundred feet of hose while the other crews evacuated the smoke from the building.

Crews remained on scene until 11 p.m. and investigators are looking into the cause of the fires.

St. Paul firefighters battled a fire on the roof of Stroh’s on June 9.

• Assignment: Engine 4, 7, 22, Ladder 7, Squad 1, Chief 3. RIT Assignment: Engine 8/Medic 8, Ladder 18, Squad 3, Medic 18, Ladder 8. Special Called: Engines 15 and 24 and Ladder 10 with the Air Trailer

Minor Injuries in St. Paul Porch Failure

June 21 – Several people were injured when the front porch of a St. Paul home collapsed on Tuesday evening.

St. Paul fire crews were dispatched to the 800 block of Fuller Avenue just before 6 p.m. for a reported porch fire. The dispatcher updated the responding units, saying that a porch had collapsed and several people were involved.

Engine and Ladder 18 arrived to find several women who dropped about six feet when the floor of the porch failed on in front of the dwelling. They fell into a void area below.

The barbeque that was being used caught some of the damaged lumber on fire, but the damage was minor.

Firefighters used a ladder to extricate the women from the hole.

Medic 8 transported a pregnant female to a local hospital for further examination.

• Assignment: Engines 18, 5, 8, Ladder 18, Squad 2, Chief 2, Medic 8

Fire at Vacant Stroh’s Brewey in St. Paul

Twin Cities Fire Wire

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

2005 Fire - Paul Barrett Photo

2005 Fire - Paul Barrett Photo

2005 Fire - Paul Barrett Photo

June 9 – St. Paul firefighters doused a small fire on the roof of the vacant Stroh’s Brewery on the East side Thursday afternoon.

Crews were dispatched to 707 Minnehaha Ave. E., around 5:20, for a report of black smoke from the roof of a building. The complex, vacated in the late 1990s, has a variety of buildings on both sides of Minnehaha Avenue.

Engine 4 arrived to find light smoke from the roof of the multi-level building. Heights ranged from seven stories to four stories.

Ladder 7 positioned in front of the building and Engine 17 laid a supply line from Engine 4 to a hydrant east of the complex.

Firefighters attempted to access the top of the building from the interior, but found the stairs unusable. Ladder 7’s aerial was placed to the roof of the four-story side of the building and firefighters found a pile of roofing materials on fire.

Crews stretched a 2 1/2-inch hoseline up the aerial and supplied a 1 3/4-inch line that was used to extinguish the fire in minutes.

As investigators began their work, crews disassembled the hoselines and carried them back down the ladder.

A fire at the brewery in 2005 reached two alarms and the thick black smoke could be seen for miles, according to the Extra Alarm Association’s website (see last three photos).

The Sept. 7 fire destroyed the  building that was often used by vagrants. Fire was through the roof of the structure by the time firefighters arrived and crews went into defensive mode.

• Assignment: Engines 4, 17 and 8, Ladder 7, Squad 2 and Chief 3

Updated: St. Paul Apartment Fire Leaves One Dead

Twin Cities Fire Wire

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Updated Sunday morning: Officials say the resident, a 34-year-old male, died from his injuries. The fire is classified as intentional and investigators are still digging into the details of the fire.

June 4- St. Paul firefighters rescued a man who is in serious condition after an apartment fire early Saturday morning.

Crews were called to 1533 Woodbridge St., the Woodbridge Terrace Apartments, at 12:15 a.m.

Engine 22 arrived to find smoke showing from the lower level of the three-story building that contains 24 units. They stretched a pre-connect to the fire apartment.

Ladder 22 began ventilation as residents rushed from the building. Engine 17 provided a backup attack line.

“The firefighters got into the apartment and quickly knocked down the fire,” according to St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.

As crews were performing the primary searches, “they found the man, believed to be about 30, on the bed.” Firefighters removed him from the building and begin rendering medical assistance.

He was transported by Medic 8 to Regions Hospital. Zaccard said he was in serious condition, suffering from burns and smoke.

The fire was contained to the room of origin, but the entire apartment sustained smoke and heat damage. Residents were allowed back in the building within an hour.

Investigators are still at the scene trying to determine the cause.

Assignment: Engines 22, 17, 18, Ladder 22, Squad 1, Chief 2. RIT Assignment: Engine 8, Ladder 18, Medic 8, Medic 4, Squad 2, Chief 1. Special Called: Squad 3.

Minneapolis Local 82 Looking for Tornado Clean Up Volunteers

Minneapolis Local 82 Photo

Minneapolis Local 82 Photo

Minneapolis Local 82 Photo

June 2 –The president of the Minneapolis Firefighter’s Union is looking for firefighters  to assist with a massive clean up effort North Minneapolis on Saturday.

Local 82 President Mark Lakosky said that firefighters will likely serve as team leaders for each clean up group. Officials are expecting to have 2,000 volunteers work in two shifts to complete much of the clean following the May 22 tornado.

The first shift is scheduled to work from 8 a.m. until noon. Volunteers need to be at Brookdale Mall (1108 Brookdale, Brooklyn Center) near the Macy’s store by 7:30.

Those interested in the afternoon shift need to be there by 12 p.m.

“It was great last week,” Lakosky said. “We must have had 15 chain saws running at the same time, cutting trees and clearing yards of debris.”

He said firefighters from all over the state, including Coon Rapids, Chisago, St. Paul and Winona jumped in to assist Minneapolis fire crews.

He asked that firefighters come prepared with heavy-duty footwear, gloves, eye protection and other essentials. He’s encouraging firefighter’s to wear their department shirts too.

‘Suspicious’ Fire Contained by Sprinkler in St. Paul

St. Paul Fire Dept. Photo

St. Paul Fire Dept. Photo

May 16 – For the second time in a week, a single fire sprinkler doused a fire in a high occupancy building in downtown St. Paul.

Just after 1 a.m., fire crews were dispatched for alarm sounds at Mears Park Place Apartment at 401 Sibley St.

As units went enroute, they were updated that there was smoke on the sixth floor. The eight-story apartment building has 281 units.

Crews ascended to the upper floors and found a heavy smoke condition. They located an upholstered chair that had been burning in the sixth floor lobby.

“One fire sprinkler head had activated and put the fire out,”  St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said.

Crews ventilated the lingering smoke before returning to service.

Zaccard said that the fire caused $10,000 in damage, mainly to the area where the chair was burning in the hallway. No injuries were reported.

The cause is under investigation, but officials says it appears “suspicious.”

Last week, a sprinkler snuffed a kitchen fire on the 11th floor of 20 Exchange St. E.

Updated: Busy Friday the 13th in St. Paul

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Photo Twin Cities Fire Wire

Twin Cities Fire Wire Photo

Twin Cities Fire Wire

May 13 – St. Paul fire crews were kept busy today with three fires on Friday the 13th.

A sprinkler doused a kitchen fire in a downtown apartment building on Friday morning.

Firefighters were dispatched for a fire alarm activation at 20 E. Exchange St. around 8 a.m.

As they entered the fire floor, they found smoke and crews hooked up to a standpipe. Upon entry to the apartment, they found that the fire involved combustibles that were close to the stove.

Once inside, they found that a sprinkler head snuffed the blaze, St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard told Twin Cities Fire Wire.

Firefighters made sure the fire was out and overhauled the area of origin. The fire primarily damaged the kitchen.

Around 11 a.m., St. Paul firefighters were dispatched to a report of a basement fire at 584 Edmund Ave.

Ladder 18 arrived to find heavy smoke from the two-story dwelling. As they searched for the source of the fire, they found smoke on all three levels.

Ladder 18 and Engine 5 deployed pre-connects as they continued their search for the fire. Crews found fire running along the A/B corner of the home from the bottom to the top of the structure.

Firefighters on both levels pulled ceilings and opened walls to extinguish the fire.

According to Zaccard, the fire was ignited by the careless disposal of smoking materials.

• Assignment: Engine 5, 8, 23, Ladder 18, Squad 1, Medic 8 and Chief 2. RIT Assignment: Engine 17, Ladder 8, Chief 1

Less than two hours later, firefighters were called to a garage fire on the East side.

Engine 9 arrived to find heavy smoke and flames from the detached one-car garage. Engine 24 laid a water supply line to Engine 9 and assisted in knocking down the fire.

They deployed a 2 1/2-inch and a 1 3/4-inch hoseline to darken the flames.

It took about 15 minutes to contain the fire.

Zaccard said that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

• Assignment: Engines 9, 24 and 7, Ladder 24, Squad 1, Chief 3

No injuries were reported in any of the three fires.