Fire destroys tent at St. Paul homeless encampment

No one was injured in the fire, which was contained to one tent.

December 13, 2020 at 9:37PM

A tent at a homeless encampment in St. Paul's Culture Park was destroyed in a fire Sunday.

No injuries were immediately reported.

Jake Heitman, of Falcon Heights, happened to be driving by the intersection of Kellogg and Robert streets when he saw the fire and heard loud popping noises that sounded like firecrackers.

He said crews arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire, which was contained to one tent.

On Dec. 1, a fire at a different homeless encampment near I-94 in St. Paul sent a 51-year-old man to the hospital. The fire inside an RV started about 4:50 a.m. and spread to at least one other tent.

Officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Sunday's fire. WCCO reports that a firecracker spark ignited the flames.

Kim Hyatt • 612-673-4751

about the writer

about the writer

Kim Hyatt

Reporter

Kim Hyatt reports on North Central Minnesota. She previously covered Hennepin County courts.

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