St. Paul apartment fire ruled arson; reward offered

By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune

Last update: July 22, 2008 - 12:31 PM

Fire officials announced today that they are offering up to $2,500 for information that lead to the arrest of those responsible for starting a fire that heavily damaged a St. Paul apartment building Friday.

Steve Zaccard, fire marshal for the St. Paul Fire Department, said the blaze that forced 11 families from an apartment on the 1600 block of Hamline Avenue was the work of an arsonist.

Everybody in the building was able to escape, but two residents jumped out of a second-story window and a third used bed sheets to slide to safety, Zaccard said.

The fire reported at 9:50 p.m. began in the entry way of the building and quickly spread to the staircase, blocking the exit for many tenants. Passersby grabbed fire extinguishers from a nearby gas station in an attempt to douse the flames before fire crews arrived, Zaccard said.

Two residents were treated at Regions Hospital for minor injuries, but 11 families were left with no place to live. The building was deemed uninhabitable and will require $50,000 in repairs before residents can return. Most of the damage was due to smoke and the intense heat, Zaccard said.

Zaccard said the building was not required to have alarms or a sprinkler system because of its size and age.

Zaccard said authorities have not determined what the arsonist used to start the fire, but they have launched a criminal investigation.

"Anybody who intentionally starts an apartment on fire is trying to kill somebody," Zaccard said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Arson Reward Line at 1-800-723-2020. Callers can remain anonymous.

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