2 rescued, firefighter injured after St. Paul crews respond to 3 fires in 90 minutes

Officials say emergency crews in St. Paul responded to three different fires within 90 minutes of each other on Saturday.

The first fire was reported at 2:30 p.m. at an apartment building on the 1800 block of Magnolia Avenue East. Crews quickly located and extinguished the fire before it could spread beyond the unit of origin, and no injuries were reported.

While the cause remains under investigation, preliminary findings indicate unattended cooking may have contributed to the fire, officials say.

Crews were dispatched to the second fire at a duplex on the 700 block of Magnolia Avenue East at approximately 3:30 p.m. There, first responders rescued a woman and a toddler from the fire. Both were transported to the hospital in unknown condition. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.

The third fire happened just before 4 p.m. on the 100 block of Elizabeth Street East. Upon arrival, crews found a single-family residence with flames visible from all four sides of the structure. Due to the intensity of the fire, crews began by attacking the flames from the outside while working to gain control and protect neighboring homes.

The occupants were not home at the time of the fire; however, officials say four dogs were reported unaccounted for. 

The cause of each fire remains under investigation.