MN Firefighters Battle Commercial Fire in Sub-Zero Conditions

Duluth firefighters battled fire in a large commercial building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood with wind-chill near -35 degrees.

By Abigael Keely Smith

Source Duluth News Tribune, Minn. (TNS)

Jan. 11, 2022

3 min read

Duluth firefighters used multiple aerial apparatus to control a 2-alarm fire Monday morning.

Jan. 11—DULUTH — The Esmond Building, formerly known as the Seaway Hotel, was destroyed in a fire Monday.

Duluth Fire Department crews received a report at 7:36 a.m. of "heavy fire" coming from the first and second floors of the vacant building at 2001 W. Superior St., in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, according to a Twitter post from the fire department.

After battling with the flames for nearly seven hours, the fire department reported the main fire was out at 2:04 p.m. Crews are evaluating the scene and working to clear the alley for Minnesota Power to evaluate the power lines behind the building.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Crews were pulled out of the building at 8:02 a.m. due to unsafe conditions and fought the fire defensively. Wind chills were also around 35 degrees below zero.

According to Kate Van Daele, the city's public information officer, fatalities or injuries have not been determined. The public was advised to avoid the area.

The fire department tweeted at 9:51 a.m. that a tower crew on the scene reported that most of the roof on the Esmond had collapsed.

Tenants in the alley between Superior Street and First Street, as well as residents living in the Curly's Bar building, were evacuated.

Another tweet from the fire department at 12:54 p.m. said two fire companies were released from the scene, including an aerial truck from the Superior Fire Department. The Duluth Fire Department had three remaining aerial trucks on the scene continuing to put water on the fire.

It was the second fire reported at the address in less than a month. A woman who was allegedly squatting in the building was injured in a fire there Dec. 23.

Surrounding Lincoln Park businesses reported they were impacted by Monday's fire in other ways.

According to the JS Print owner Tobbi Stager, water entered their building through the doorways. Around 2 p.m., Stager said firefighters had used water pumps to move water from their loading dock area back into the street. Stager said the building isn't damaged overall.

According to reports from workers inside Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace on Monday afternoon, the water was starting to find its way around the building.

The Duluth Fire Department also warned that power would be shut off in nearby buildings, which disrupted Dovetail's machinery, causing "a massive air quality problem."

Once Dovetail's power was shut off, the coffee roaster stopped spinning and didn't dump the beans out, causing smoke to spread throughout the building.

Power was shut off on the odd addresses on Superior Street and the even addresses on First Street from 18th Avenue West to 22nd Avenue West; businesses were notified.

The Esmond is condemned and set for demolition.

In July, the Duluth Economic Development Authority approved a development agreement to demolish it and raise a new apartment building in its place.

Merge LLC proposed to construct up to a 45-unit apartment building at the southwest corner of Superior Street and 20th Avenue West at an estimated cost of about $9.25 million. In addition to housing, the building would offer about 8,500 square feet of commercial space at the ground level.

In August, the Duluth City Council approved $75,000 in funding to assist with the demolition of the Esmond. The building was deemed structurally unsound and a blight on the neighborhood.

Check back for updates.

___

Visit the Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, Minn.) at www.duluthnewstribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.