Firefighting crews worked for hours before they were able to contain a blaze that engulfed several commercial buildings Sunday morning in northeast Minneapolis.
The fire, which was reported around 4 a.m., began at an abandoned multistory commercial structure at 1503-1505 Central Avenue NE. According to a marketing site, the 1505 building is an industrial and commercial property that offers 60,000 square feet of indoor storage.
The fire quickly spread, leading to the partial collapse of several nearby buildings. Its cause remains under investigation.
According to the Minneapolis Fire Department:
Gated parking lots, trees and a pile of tires blocked an access road, initially preventing crews from reaching the fire, which soon engulfed two nearby buildings.
Firefighters eventually reached surrounding parking lots, then used ladder water towers and ground nozzles to douse the blaze. Crews didn’t find anyone in some of the surrounding buildings they searched, though they couldn’t enter every building.
The fire broke out near BNSF Railway tracks. The railroad company told the department the rail cars were empty. Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy secured power to electrical lines and gas in the area.
Fire crews still were on the scene Sunday at 10 a.m., directing a stream of water toward the charred ruins of a building. A plume of smoke hung over much of northeast Minneapolis and drifted downtown.
![State Rep. Jim Abeler asked Somalis for their vote in the August 12 primary in his race against Mike McFadden to go up against Sen. Al Franken for the U.S. Senate seat. He handed out brochures in both English and Somali Friday after prayers at Somali Village Market in Minneapolis. ] Friday, August 1, 2014. GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com ORG XMIT: MIN1408011641271205](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/Q2CN5UBEOOTWQQJZ6CYF4X5SUA.jpg?&w=252&ar=3:2&fit=crop)
