5 Minn. firefighters treated for heat exhaustion at fire

The fire was at a vacant building in St. Paul

July 26, 2010 04:22 AM

The St. Paul Pioneer Press

ST. PAUL, Minn.— Five firefighters suffered heat exhaustion while battling a fire in a vacant St. Paul building Friday morning.

Four were transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where they were treated and released, and one was treated at the scene, said Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.

“It’s a warm day, and very hot and smoky inside,” he said. “It was a very labor-intensive and stubborn fire to fight.”

Firefighters were called to 327 Fisk St. at 9:30 a.m. The two-story commercial building used to be a VFW post, Zaccard said.

“They knocked the fire down quickly, but it had gotten into the walls and ceilings,” Zaccard said. A second alarm was called to relieve the fire crews that were already there, he said.

There was significant damage to the building, Zaccard said. The fire’s cause is under investigation.

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