Crews Knock Down Fire At St. Paul Waste Treatment Plant

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Fire officials in St. Paul say crews knocked down a fire Tuesday morning at a waste treatment plant, part of which is in the process of being demolished.

The St. Paul Fire Department says it responded around 9:40 a.m. to a fire inside the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant on 2400 Childs Road.

"It was a pretty thick cloud of smoke rolling up from over there," employee Mike Moss said. "Pretty strong odor. We could smell it in here even though the wind was carrying it that direction."

Flames were shooting through the roof and one employee was unaccounted for when crews got to the scene. When firefighters first entered the plant, there was a small explosion. Concerned about hazardous materials inside, crews went outside to fight the flames.

"Firefighters of course were first of all concerned about any hazardous materials, anything volatile that could explode or be toxic to them," St. Paul Fire Marshall Steve Zaccard said.

About 10 minutes later, officials said the missing person got out of the building OK.

Evacuated employees watched on as the smoke and flames continued to pour out of the building, part of a 77-year-old facility.

Around 11 a.m., the fire was knocked out, but crews continued to monitor hot spots.

"Knocking the fire down with aerial pipes, then firefighters went back in, got to the scene of the fire and have put most of it out," Zaccard said.

All 350 employees and contractors on site were OK. Firefighters say the fire likely started by a spark from a saw used by a contract worker, who suffered minor injuries.

"We'll probably examine the runoff, test the air around here as well just for a precaution," Zaccard said.

That section of the building that caught fire was in the process of being taken out of service.

Officials with the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant will be assessing damage, but they said all business would likely return as normal by the end of Tuesday.