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Downtown building a total loss after early morning fire

[Duluth, MN] Just after 2:00 a.m. this morning, January 28, 2022, the Duluth Fire Department responded to the 100 block of East 1st Street for a report of a structure fire. Once on scene, crews reported seeing smoke from inside the building.

Crews entered the building to conduct a primary search. Crews confirmed a fire on the second floor of the building. Due to heavy fire conditions, crews were ordered to fight the fire defensively.

Crews laid lines and started to direct water into the second floor of the building. Crews reported seeing heavy flames from the east side of the building. For over six hours, firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

The building was condemned for habitation in November 2021. The City will condemn the building for demolition on Monday, January 31. This sets a timeline for the owner to tear the property down within 30 days. A demolition is ordered when the cost to repair a building exceeds 60% of its value.

Crews fought the fire and took turns warming up as temperatures hovered at - 4 degrees.

The building has been determined to be a total loss.

There were no injuries as a part of this incident.

Crews responding to the fire included Duluth Heights, Headquarters, Lincoln Park, Spirit Valley, and UMD.

The fire is under investigation by the Duluth Fire Marshall’s Office. No additional information is available at this time.

For the second day in a row, vehicles ran over hose lines during an active scene. Again, this action created a very dangerous situation for firefighters working to extinguish the fire. A loss of water supply on a fire scene can make a difficult operation much more dangerous. The Duluth Fire Department again asks the public to follow detours in place and avoid the scene and hose lines.

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