Heavy snow collapsed part of the roof on the cattle barn on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Tuesday night, just hours after debris fell into the Super 8 motel pool in Shakopee.
The swimming pool was closed at the time and no one was injured, authorities said. It shut down earlier in the day when someone noticed the roof was sagging.
Officials with the local fire department and utility company remained on site as a precaution because the affected area is next to a gas meter.
"There's no gas leak yet, but just in case things get worse the hotel has been evacuated," said Sgt. Josh Davis, adding that about a dozen guests were moved to other area hotels.
Experts are looking at the building for any additional structural damage. The state fire marshal is expected to examine the site Wednesday and determine how long the motel should remain closed.
The roof wasn't carrying a great amount of snow at the time of the collapse, so Davis said the weight didn't appear to be a factor.
At the fairgrounds, firefighters responded around 6:15 p.m. after a piece of the Cattle Barn's southeast corner caved in from a sliding snow load, fair officials said. No one was hurt.
During the winter, the 99-year-old brick barn is used solely for storage because no livestock are on the fairground. The extent of the damage to items inside is not yet known, but the rest of the 117,450-square-foot building remains structurally sound.
![The cattle barn at State Fair collapsed Tuesday March12, 2019 in St Paul, MN.] Jerry Holt • Jerry.holt@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/WBTDVXMURMULO37OA56AMV2RAY.jpg?&w=1080)
