Woman and child rescued during trio of St. Paul fires on Saturday

The fires all broke out in the span of 90 minutes, with crews arriving to the first fire at 2:30 p.m. at an apartment building on the 1800 block of Magnolia Avenue East. Resident were evacuating the building and firefighters were able to locate and extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading beyond where the fire first erupted.

No one was injured, preliminary findings indicate unattended cooking may have contributed to the fire.

An hour later, firefighters raced to a second fire on Magnolia Avenue East, this time on the 700 block at an up-and-down duplex. The fire was discovered on the first floor and crews were able to get a woman and a female toddler from the fire.

Both were transported to the hospital and their conditions are unknown. A firefighter suffered minor injuries and an update on their condition also hasn't been provided.

The third fire was reported just before 4 p.m. at a single-family home on 100 block of Elizabeth Street East. Flames were visible on all four side of the home with crews initially attacking the blaze from the exterior while working to gain control and protect a neighboring home from exposure.

No one was home at the time, but four dogs were reported unaccounted for.

Official causes of each fire remain under investigation.

St. Paul Interim Fire Chief Gregory Duren II issued a statement:

“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by today’s fires, particularly the residents who were injured or displaced,” said Interim Fire Chief Gregory Duren II. “I am extremely proud of the work of our firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. Faced with three significant fires in a very short period of time, our crews responded quickly, made critical rescues, prevented fires from spreading to additional homes and continued providing emergency service throughout the city. Their professionalism and teamwork under extremely demanding circumstances demonstrate the level of service the people of Saint Paul can count on every day.”