The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is requesting all residents evacuate the 17th Avenue residence hall due to a structure fire believed to be caused by a natural gas leak.
The Minneapolis Fire Department is on scene at 1717 University Avenue, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, responding to the incident. According to the university’s emergency update system, there were reports of an explosion and fire in the area.
Four city buses have been requested to help shelter firefighters and evacuees attempting to flee the area.
At approximately 2:48 p.m. fire crews were dispatched to a fire in the basement of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house at 1717 University Avenue. Crew were able to extinguish the fire, without any reported injuries.
However, crews also were getting reports of several manhole covers that were blown out of the street due to a possible gasoline spill in the sewer line relating to the fire. That has caused Buildings along the university avenue and Oak street corridor between 10th and 19th street to be evacuated.
Jack Sallaberry was one of those evacuees and was three blocks from the initial incident. He told WCCO's Paul Hodowanic that he didn’t evacuate at first but was later asked to as crews continued to receive calls of gasoline odors in the area and remain on the scene.
"I heard the explosion and right away there were sirens," Sallaberry said. "I could hear the fire department coming in so I was getting dressed to go out. I came over to see what was going on and I wanted to know when I could go back."
Metro Transit has shared that routes 6 and 2 will be detoured off University from 15th Ave SE to Oak until further notice due to fire.
