MINNEAPOLIS — It was a busy morning for Minneapolis firefighters, who were called on to put down fires at a pair of apartment buildings on opposite sides of the city Thursday.
Around 3:30 a.m., fire officials posted on X that they were responding to a fire at the 1600 block of Plymouth Ave. N. Heavy fire was showing on the first and second floors when crews arrived, and a second alarm was soon called to summon additional resources.
Assistant Chief Melanie Rucker says 11 units were impacted and more than 20 people evacuated from the burning building. A bus was called in to shelter the displaced residents and Red Cross was called for additional help.
By 4 a.m., fire crews posted that the bulk of the fire was extinguished on the first and second floors, but they continued to fight the blaze on the third floor and roofline. Fire officials say the fire seems to have started outside and moved inside the building, but shared that the cause does not seem suspicious.
"Me and my partner we were sitting on the bed at like 3:30 in the morning, and we just heard the fire alarms go off in our apartment," Yolanda Cherry said. "And I immediately jumped up and told her we should leave the unit. When we opened the door, we just saw the blazing fire next door."
Cherry said she had just moved into the apartment not even a month ago, after leaving Chicago. She returned to the apartment complex about 12 hours later, to see if she could gather her belongings.
"I just finally got this place," Cherry said. "I had to give all my money up to move in here, and I was just starting to get settled."
She explained that she had a microwave and an air mattress. The Red Cross usually steps in during situations like this, helping residents like Cherry find immediate shelter, food and clothing.
"Making sure they have a warm place to go, a place to stay," American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakota Region CEO Brice Johnson said. "We actually give them immediate financial assistance so they can go out and buy the things they need."
Johnson said they also work quickly to help clients find medications and medical equipment they might need as well. This, along with replenishing lost vital documents like birth certificates and drivers licenses.
However, there are limits to what the Red Cross can do when it comes to items of sentimental value.
"My wife's picture, of 20 years, that's gone," Cherry said, tears streaming down her face. "That's all I have left of her." She explained that her wife, whom she was married to for 20 years, had passed away. In this case, Cherry would have to wait until the building was cleared to go back in to see if the picture survived the fire.
"We're going to try," Johnson said. "I'm going to make some calls to the management company and see when these folks will be allowed back into the structure to try to get some of those things that mean so much to them."
Just hours after the fire at 1611 Plymouth Ave N, engines were dispatched to a separate apartment fire at 5700 34th Ave. S. Assistant Chief Rucker says firefighters arrived at the three-story building around 7:20 a.m. to find smoke spewing from a second-floor unit. Crews laid lines and began an interior attack while team members put up ladders and rescued top-floor residents who were calling out for help.
A search of the building turned up a cat who was given oxygen on the scene and one resident was evaluated for possible smoke inhalation.
The apartment management team is boarding up windows that were broken fighting the fire and conducting rescues. A number of residents are being assisted by the Red Cross in finding shelter and resources.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is posted.
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