Fewer people were displaced by the fire and power outage at a high-rise apartment building in St. Paul than Skyline Tower officials initially thought.
The apartments on St. Anthony Avenue off Interstate 94 have a total of 773 residents and all were evacuated Sunday, said Barbara Koch, CommonBond Communities interim vice president of development, on Wednesday. The 1,500 announced on Monday was an estimate and the actual number was determined by tenant rent rolls, according to Koch.
CommonBond, an affordable housing nonprofit that serves low-income communities, lined up hotel rooms for many residents, while some chose to stay with family or friends.
“We are working as quickly as possible to move families back into their Skyline homes and we will provide updates as soon as we know more,” Koch said.
Firefighters responded to a fire on the 25-story building’s 12th floor at 12:23 a.m. Sunday. No injuries were reported.
The fire activated the building’s fire protection sprinklers on the 12th, 13th and 14th floors, and the water caused a power outage, according to the fire department. The building’s elevators, fire suppression system, heat and water supply went out.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation; there were not signs that it was suspicious, said Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Smith.
Information about donating to residents and volunteering can be found at commonbond.org/skylinetower.
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