A nighttime fire broke out in a south Minneapolis grain elevator warehouse while intruders were inside, officials said.
Fire crews were sent to the blaze about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday near S. Hiawatha Avenue and E. 38th Street and arrived to find heavy black smoke showing from all sides of the first floor and squatters inside, said Assistant Fire Chief Melanie Rucker.
The crews found rubbish burning on the first floor and extinguished the flames, Rucker said. An unspecified number of squatters were led out of the building safely.
No injuries attributed to the fire were reported. HCMC paramedics tended to a civilian for a hand injury unrelated to the blaze, Rucker said.
"Fire crews found doors that were pried open and squatters living in the building," a statement from the assistant chief read. The open doors were boarded up that night, she said.
