A large fire broke out Friday evening at Helix Apartments in St. Louis Park, forcing residents out of their homes and leaving crews at the building for hours as they worked to bring it under control.
St. Louis Park city officials said firefighters first responded around 4:45 p.m. after reports of smoke, then found a large blaze at the apartment complex. One person was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and two firefighters were treated at the scene for heat-related injuries.
The fire affected about 90 apartment units, a scale that turned a single building emergency into a wider housing disruption for many residents at once. About 20 fire departments joined the response, while the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army helped with shelter and immediate needs.
Officials said the fire may have started on a third-floor balcony, but that has not been officially confirmed. Crews stayed on scene to knock down final hot spots after the fire burned for hours, and the cause remained under investigation.
That leaves the most important immediate question unresolved for the people forced out Friday night: when they will be allowed back. Officials said they did not yet know how many residents were displaced or when they might return, and a full damage assessment had not been completed.
