Minneapolis fire crews extinguish flames at vacant, boarded-up duplex

Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire Wednesday morning in north Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Fire Department responded to a fire at a 2.5-story duplex at 2135 4th St. N. around 9 a.m. Wednesday. According to a news release, the building had been vacant and was boarded up.

Nobody was found at the scene and no injuries were reported, the department said.

When crews got to the scene, they found smoke and fire showing from the building’s second floor. Firefighters had to remove boards from the doors and windows to get inside the building.

Fire crews laid lines to extinguish the fire and searched for any victims or occupants in the building.

Fire on the first floor had burned a hole into the second floor, which made extinguishing the fire difficult and dangerous, the fire department said. Minimal fire was found in the attic.

Fire crews extinguished the fire after an extensive overhaul. The building’s utilities were shut off and the windows and doors will be reboarded.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the fire department said.