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A large fire in south Minneapolis that burned for hours from late Wednesday into Thursday morning left three people — including two firefighters — injured and displaced dozens of residents.

The four-alarm fire on the 5600 block of Lyndale Avenue South spread from a garage to two adjacent residential buildings — including a former motel that was recently converted to affordable housing. 

One resident was transported to a hospital for a respiratory condition and two firefighters were taken to a hospital for a shoulder and knee injuries. Fire officials said about 50 people were displaced.

A resident of the former motel told MPR News that the fire scene was “like a war zone” with several explosions as vehicles in the garage burned and the flames spread.

Arthur Burton, 74, said he helped evacuate people from the building. His unit was not burned by the fire, and he sheltered some other residents in the immediate aftermath — but he was worried that he may not be able to stay.

“It’s devastating,” he said. “I’ll be 75 — I don’t want to be back on the street.”

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Agate Housing and Services — which owns and operates the building, known as the Metro Inn — estimated that 16 of 38 units were damaged to the point where they are uninhabitable.

Agate said it’s working with affected residents to determine next steps.

“Our first care is for our residents,” Agate Executive Director Kyle Hanson said in a news release. “They’re safe, but this is a traumatic experience. And now they are at even greater risk of becoming homeless. It’s a terrible situation.”

Burton said the building houses many elderly people, or people with disabilities. He said it was amazing that no one died in the fire.

“That’s a blessing — nobody got burned. That’s three buildings, you know? That means God’s looking out for people,” he said.

Neighbor Richard Helm, like Burton, also reported hearing several explosions as the fire burned. He said he was asleep when someone pounded on his door and he heard yelling about a fire next door. 

He said he had to leave his apartment because officials weren’t sure if the flames would spread to that building, too. Helm said he doesn’t get scared by much, but “I was panicking. I was scared — I’m not gonna lie.”

Surveying the scene in daylight on Thursday morning, he noted the wreckage of vehicles in the garage that burned.

“You can see the intensity of the fire just by looking at these cars,” he said. “I mean, there’s no rubber on the tires. The windows are ... I mean, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

According to the Minneapolis Fire Department, crews responded around 11:24 p.m. Wednesday to a fire in a detached garage. The first crews on the scene found the garage engulfed in flames and the fire spreading to a three-story apartment building on one side, and the former motel on the other. 

The fire department said four alarms were called to get extra personnel and equipment on scene. Minneapolis firefighters used several water hoses and set up an aerial ladder water tower to spray large amounts of water on the fire. 

The fire spread through the roofline of the apartment building and former motel, and crews had to cut holes in the Metro Inn’s roof to stop the fire from spreading.

Firefighters worked through the early morning hours to put out the fire. Some crews returned to the scene soon after sunrise after some flames rekindled; they were quickly extinguished.

The garage and the cars inside were destroyed by the flames. Fire officials said the roof of the three-story apartment building collapsed and there was a partial roof collapse at the former motel.

Battalion chief Reid Hanson spoke with MPR News at the scene on Thursday morning, and praised the work of the fire crews who battled the flames overnight — noting they managed to save most of the housing units in the Metro Inn.

“They saved two dozen units in this structure [so] people can still live there. It’s miraculous, considering three different structures were involved,” he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Before being sold to Agate late last year, the Metro Inn property was owned and used by Hennepin County for a shelter during the pandemic.

Availability of affordable housing has long been an issue in the Twin Cities, and Hennepin County spokesperson Carolyn Marinan said in a statement that the county is “very saddened by the news of this tragic fire at the Metro Inn and the loss of much-needed affordable housing in our community so soon after these units were opened.”

“Hennepin County staff are reaching out to the Red Cross to work with impacted residents needing emergency assistance and other resources,” she said.

Agate said the Metro Inn property provides housing for people who have experienced homelessness. 

“The residents of this facility are some of the hardest to house, as they do not qualify for subsidy programs. The rent of $450 is paid by the residents in full, without support of other programs. Most residents work full time,” Agate said in a news release.

The fire happened as Agate is still working to find housing for residents displaced by the 

, in downtown Minneapolis — and with winter approaching.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure those who live in these facilities have a safe place to live. We are thankful to all our community partners for assisting us, including the firefighters and others who helped keep our Metro Inn residents safe from harm,” Agate said.

Nicole Ki

Author

A large fire in south Minneapolis that burned for hours from late Wednesday into Thursday morning left three people — including two firefighters — injured and displaced dozens of residents.


Large fire in south Minneapolis injures 3, displaces dozens of people

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