St. Paul, Minnesota: Randolph Terrace Apartments Torn Down a Day After Fire Collapses the Roof

A 20-unit apartment building in St. Paul, Minnesota, is being torn down on Tuesday, one day after a fire tore through its attic, collapsed its roof and floors, and forced every resident out. Officials said the Randolph Terrace Apartments, a four-story building about 100 years old in the 1800 block of Randolph Avenue, was a total loss and was structurally unsound.

The fire on Monday morning

The fire broke out shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Monday at the building, which sits just east of Fairview Avenue South and north of the St. Paul Academy campus, near St. Catherine University. When firefighters arrived, no heavy flames showed from outside. The fire was burning in the attic above the top floor, in a space that was hard to reach.

Crews searched all 20 units and evacuated the building. As portions of the roof began collapsing, firefighters were pulled out and shifted to defensive operations, fighting the fire from outside. Two neighboring buildings were also evacuated over fears the building could collapse. Fire officials said the building had no sprinkler system, and that sprinklers were not required for it under the fire code.

No injuries were reported, although some pets remain missing. The Red Cross was called to help the displaced residents. St. Paul police helped with traffic control, and St. Paul Regional Water was notified about the large amount of water damage.

Demolition on Tuesday

Officials said the building could not be saved. Demolition was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, with an excavator brought to the site. Randolph Avenue is closed between Fairview Avenue and Howell Street during the demolition.

Dozens of residents are now out of their homes with little warning. Maddy Meyers, who lived in the building, told FOX 9 she lost nearly everything she owned and got out with only her phone, her cat and the clothes she was wearing. "I'm remembering everything else I should have grabbed," she said.

Dan Chulla lived in the building with his wife and their 15-month-old daughter. His wife first smelled smoke at about 8 a.m. on Monday. A neighbor later showed him a blackened area around a light fixture in her third-floor unit, and then the alarms sounded and the family got out. "It happened quick," he said. "I'm just glad everybody's safe." Chulla said the family has lived in the building since 2020 and may have lost keepsakes from his daughter's first year.

The cause is still unknown

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Chulla said the lights in the building had been dimming and flickering through the night before the fire, and some residents suspect an electrical problem. Officials have not determined whether electricity played any part. Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Smith said the collapsed floors and the large amount of water used to fight the fire will make it harder to find the cause.