MN Crews Battle Blaze in Multiple Commercial Structures
By Kristi Belcamino
Source Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Aug. 22—Fire broke out at several large buildings on Selby Avenue near Hamline Avenue in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon, sending massive plumes of heavy black smoke throughout the area.
St. Paul resident Marie Rickmyer said she witnessed the fire in its early stages from about 50 feet away, across the street behind the former Crosstown Auto building on Marshall Avenue.
Rickmyer said it appeared there were chemicals burning and a transformer blew and then burned.
As she watched, one fire engine was fighting the blaze, but the fire quickly spread to two nearby buildings, and she said the flames grew so hot she could feel them so she left.
The buildings that were on fire appeared to be older buildings with window towers on top, she said. As the fire spread through the buildings, she could hear glass exploding.
About 6:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the three-alarm blaze ignited in the 1400 block of Selby Avenue, five ladder fire trucks were trying to combat the flames, which had already engulfed the building and taken down walls, according to St. Paul Fire Deputy Chief Jeremiah Melquist.
The blaze was directly behind the Concordia University baseball field.
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