Fire crews battle blaze at condemned hotel in Duluth

Fire crews are fighting a large fire at a condemned hotel in Duluth Monday in subzero conditions.

Duluth fire officials say the roof of the Esmond Building, formerly the old Seaway Hotel, in the Lincoln Park Craft District has collapsed and all firefighters have been pulled out of the building Monday.

Some residents and workers in adjacent buildings, including tenants in apartments above Curly's Bar, have been evacuated as a precaution.

The building, owned by the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority, was condemned and slated for demolition to make way for a new apartment building after another building was constructed to house the hotel's former residents.

A fire at the building last month was ruled accidental and caused by a person who was homeless who was in the building.

The fire department in Superior, Wis., has been called in for assistance. Fire crews there battled a major fire Thursday that destroyed two vacant warehouses along the Duluth-Superior harbor waterfront.

MPR News reporter Dan Kraker contributed to this report.