Crews Determine St. Paul Federal Construction Site Fire Was Intentionally Set

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have determined that a large fire that raged last week in the heart of Minnesota's capital city was intentionally set.

ATF's National Response Team investigated the fire that broke out Aug. 4 in downtown St. Paul, just across from the Xcel Energy Center.

"After investigating the scene, reviewing video footage and talking to numerous witnesses, fire investigation experts ruled the fire to be incendiary, or intentionally set. Investigators continue to work the case as it develops further," the agency reported.

The under-construction building that went up in flames early Tuesday was called the Seven Corners Gateway, a $69 million luxury apartment and hotel project. Officials say an initial assessment found that the five-story hotel portion of the project sustained the majority of the damage.

Flames were seen leaping into the sky, sending up a huge plume of black smoke that was visible from weather radar. The heat from the fire melted nearby traffic lights. Charred debris littered downtown St. Paul, and some ashes flew miles away, landing in nearby suburbs.

Crews on Tuesday reported that after searching the ruins for the last four days, they determined that no people had perished in the fire.

The building's developer, the Kaeding Development Group, told the Pioneer Press that it plans to rebuild.

This was the fifth time this year that the ATF's National Response Team responded to a Minnesota fire. In recent months, the team worked on dozens of arson investigations in the Twin Cities stemming from the unrest after the death of George Floyd. In January, it investigated the Press Bar and Parlor fire in St. Cloud. Prior to this year, the National Response Team hadn't stepped foot in Minnesota since 2004.