A large-scale fire and small explosion broke out at a University of Minnesota steam plant in Minneapolis late Friday night but was under control within an hour, according to alerts by the university.
University officials sent out a public safety alert about the fire and a “slight explosion” around 11:15 p.m. Friday, telling people to avoid the area of the steam plant located at 600 Main St. S.E. University police were working on traffic control.
Less than an hour later, another alert was issued saying there was no longer a visible fire but that the Minneapolis Fire Department was still on scene and that university police were still performing traffic control.
It’s not the first time the university’s steam plant, which is located on the Mississippi River and supplies steam to the university, has caught fire. Another fire broke out on the plant’s roof in 2006, causing minimal damage.
The steam plant works with the university’s main energy plant to provide heat, hot water and power to the U’s Minneapolis campus and some nearby buildings.
No further details about the fire were available Saturday morning.
Related Articles
St. Paul: Lake Phalen event seeks to shine light over ICE
Noah Feldman: ICE isn’t just breaking the law. It’s trying to rewrite it.
Twin Cities child care centers on edge, parent patrols watch for ICE
‘These kids are invisible’: Child abuse deaths spur clash over homeschool regulation
St. Paul to state leaders: Freeze evictions, utility shut-offs
Leave a Reply