Fire damages apartment building near St. Catherine University in St. Paul

St. Paul firefighters battled a fire Monday morning at a 20-unit apartment building near the campus of St. Catherine University.

It happened in a building along Randolph Avenue near Fairview Avenue. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The fire sent a thick plume of smoke into the air as crews used ladder trucks to reach the roof. In an update just before 10:30 a.m., the fire department said the scene remained active and “defensive operations have been ordered. ... An initial search of all floors evacuated the building. The roof has collapsed. The neighboring buildings are also being evacuated.”

St. Paul apartment building fire

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Staff from the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections were on scene “to assist and assess structural integrity,” the department reported.

The American Red Cross was also called to assist displaced residents.

There was no immediate information on the cause of the fire.

City records indicate the building houses 20 apartments, across three stories and a garden level.

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