Firefighters in Eagan battled a blaze at a Shell gas station for nearly two hours Tuesday morning before putting it out.
Eagan police said a police officer noticed the fire while on patrol shortly after midnight and called firefighters to the scene at 3830 Minnesota 13.
Firefighters from the city's five stations responded, Eagan police officer Jennifer Ruby said. They had to put out flare-ups twice and remained on the scene until after 7 a.m., she said.
"The landlord called me at 12:20 when I was sleeping and told me there had been a fire," station owner Abrahim Alrwazek said. "This is a total loss. It cannot be rebuilt."
Alrwazek, who has owned the Shell station for two years, said he spent the day meeting with insurance agents and police investigators at the charred station.
Investigators pegged the estimated loss at $900,000.
"Right now, the building is considered condemned because of its unsafe condition," Ruby said.
The station closed at 11 p.m. Monday, so no one was there when the fire broke out, police said.
Investigators spent most of the day removing rooftop ventilation from the building before they could go in and begin any evidence collection, Ruby said.
"There was concern that the building would collapse because of its weakened structure," she said.
Investigators from the state fire marshal's office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are assisting city authorities with the investigation. Ruby said their aid is common with fires at commercial structures.
The cause of the fire remained unknown as of Tuesday evening.
Meggen Lindsay can be reached at 651-228-5260.
Distributed by the Associated Press
