The St. Paul Fire Department was tested Saturday afternoon when it responded to three fires within 90 minutes.
According to the department, three separate structure fires occurred in rapid succession, requiring significant personnel and resources.
The first fire was reported at 2:30 p.m. at an apartment building in the 1800th block of Magnolia Avenue East. There, firefighters quickly identified the fire and contained it to the unit where it started. No injuries were reported. While the investigation is ongoing, St. Paul Fire said early signs point to unattended cooking as a possible contributing factor.
The second fire occurred an hour later at 3:30 p.m. when crews were called to another structure on Magnolia Avenue East, this time in the 700th block. Firefighters arrived to find fire on the first floor of an up-and-down duplex.
Crews entered the building and rescued an adult woman and a female toddler from the fire. Both were transported to the hospital. St. Paul Fire will not release additional information about their condition.
One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the incident.
The third fire occurred just before 4 p.m. when a fire was reported on the 100th block of Elizabeth Street East. Firefighters found a single-family home ablaze with flames visible on all sides of the structure.
Because of the fire’s intensity, crews initially attacked the blaze from the exterior and protected a neighboring home from exposure. The house’s occupants were not home at the time of the fire, but four dogs remain unaccounted for.
“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by today’s fires, particularly the residents who were injured or displaced,” said Interim Fire Chief Gregory Duren II. “I am extremely proud of the work of our firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. Faced with three significant fires in a very short period of time, our crews responded quickly, made critical rescues, prevented fires from spreading to additional homes and continued providing emergency service throughout the city. Their professionalism and teamwork under extremely demanding circumstances demonstrate the level of service the people of Saint Paul can count on every day.”
The cause of all three fires remains under investigation.
