Fire at Minneapolis City Hall closes police property room
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
An early morning fire at Minneapolis City Hall forced some 911 dispatchers away from their posts and set off sprinklers in a police department evidence storage area.
The fire was reported about 1 a.m., and was extinguished by sprinklers. But smoke filled parts of the sub-basement at City Hall, including the 911 dispatch center adjacent to the storage area. The city moved some of the dispatch staff out of the building to a backup facility in the police department's 3rd Precinct offices.
There was no structural damage to the building or 911 center. The fire department said there were no injuries, although firefighters had to use fans to blow the smoke out of the area, and pumps to remove the water from the sprinklers. The department said the fire was in shelving in the sub-basement.
City officials say the building will be open for business Monday, and the city's call center was taking 911 emergency calls as usual as of 6 a.m. They're asking people to direct non-emergency calls to 311.
The police department said its property room will be closed Monday as police investigate the extent of the damage.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Dear reader,
Political debates with family or friends can get heated. But what if there was a way to handle them better?
You can learn how to have civil political conversations with our new e-book!
Download our free e-book, Talking Sense: Have Hard Political Conversations, Better, and learn how to talk without the tension.
