About half the residents of a St. Paul high-rise forced from their homes by a fire earlier this week have returned to their apartments, city officials said Friday.
More than 770 people were displaced early Sunday morning when a small fire broke out on the 12th floor of the Skyline Tower complex at Griggs Street and St. Anthony Avenue, according to a news release. No one was injured, but the blaze caused outages of the water, heating and electrical systems, rendering the building uninhabitable.
As of Friday afternoon, all 141 households of the complex’s east tower were back in their apartments, the news release said. The units in the west tower suffered significant water damage from the building’s sprinkler system and require repairs before they can be occupied.
The city’s Department of Safety and Inspections conducted “a comprehensive safety review Thursday, certifying the entire building structurally sound,” the news release said.
Skyline Tower, which overlooks Interstate 94, is the largest affordable housing community in St. Paul, according to CommonBond, the nonprofit that manages the complex.
About 150 city workers — including firefighters, police officers, Department of Safety and Inspections personnel, and the mayor and his staff — pitched in to help residents evacuate on Sunday.
CommonBond arranged hotel rooms for many of those who were displaced, while some chose to stay with family or friends.
The fire remains under investigation, but Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Smith said there were not signs it was suspicious.
Donations for residents are being accepted at commonbond.org/skylinetower.
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