SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Thirty people were forced out of their homes Saturday after a grass fire started by fireworks burned an apartment complex in Saint Paul.
Saint Paul officials said crews were called to the 1300 block of Saint Paul Avenue around 4:15 p.m. Saturday for a report of a grass fire.
By the time crews arrived, they said the fire had spread to the trees around an apartment building. It continued to spread into the building and into the attic space above the third-floor units.
Firefighters got everyone out of the building and started to put down the flames. In total, 12 companies and more than 60 people fought the fire for more than five hours.
A few residents were able to get back into their units to grab some personal things but in the end, all 17 units were condemned by inspectors.
The Red Cross made a temporary shelter for the 30 people displaced by the fire.
Officials said investigators found firework debris in the area where the fire started and people in the area said they heard fireworks prior to seeing the fire. In a press release, Saint Paul Fire Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso noted that winds gusting as high as 22 miles per hour and dry conditions contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Damage to the building is estimated to cost more than $2 million dollars.
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