Fire chars a block of West Broadway in Minneapolis
Updated 5 p.m. | Posted 9:25 a.m.
A three-alarm blaze Wednesday morning torched a block of homes and businesses on West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis, forcing at least a dozen evacuations.
Four people were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation. Three were sent to HCMC "early into the incident and one, who had sought shelter on the Metro Transit bus, a while later," said Minneapolis Assistant Fire Chief Cherie Penn.
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Their conditions are not yet known, though Fire Chief John Fruetel said he didn't believe there were any serious injuries.
No firefighters were injured.
Fire officials said about a dozen people were evacuated from 913 W. Broadway Ave., the building where the fire started Wednesday morning.
Around 40 firefighters worked in shifts through the morning to keep the blaze from spreading east. The fire was brought under control after several hours.
By the early afternoon, the smoke had cleared revealing a line of burned buildings. Fire officials believe at least some of the structures will have to be demolished.
Fruetel said firefighters found flames at the back of the building. The fire burst through walls and quickly consumed the buildings as residents were evacuated.
The Red Cross was on the scene to help as many as 20 people who may be displaced.
Building resident Jeff Hornbeck said he saw the fire in its early stages.
"When I peeked around the corner and seen the flames, they seemed to be about in the middle of the stairwell going down there," Hornbeck said. "We're thinking someone either did it on purpose, or left a cigarette. We don't know."
The second floor of the building collapsed and firefighters retreated to fight the blaze from outside the building.
Fire spread to adjacent buildings, including 905, 907 and 909 W. Broadway Ave. National Weather Service officials reported the fire was large enough to be seen on weather radar this morning.
Fire officials say the blaze is under investigation.
Becky Dernbach, communications director for Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, confirmed that the fire damaged the building that housed the group's office.
"It sounds like our office has pretty much burned down. I am hearing that the building is gone," Dernbach said.
She said that the NOC staffers were safe but that the organization was still trying to assess the impact of the fire and potential losses.
The group announced a goal of raising $20,000 to support residents of the buildings who were injured or displaced by the fire.