Arson suspected in Lake Street garbage fires, fire department says
MINNEAPOLIS — Authorities suspect several garbage fires on Minneapolis' West Lake Street Monday morning were intentionally set.
One such fire spread to a building on the 900 block of West Lake Street just before 3:30 a.m., according to the Minneapolis Fire Department. Crews responded, searched the building and put out the fire. No one was injured, but a residence inside the building was deemed uninhabitable. The building also contained a business, which is now boarded up.
David Dettloff, who owns Ink Lab, recalled learning about the fire from one of his clients, who then told one of his employees.
"I've got four artists and a body piercer working out of here that rely on this business to make a living," he said. "So I've got to do what I can to get this place running and get everyone back to work."
He said the electricity was significantly damaged on the outside of the building, so it'll take days for the lights to turn back on. Inside, there's damage to the ceiling tiles where the water came in from the fire hoses. There's also the lingering smell of smoke, which he said would take time to air out.
"Incidents like this, they hit the small businesses the worst," Dettloff said. "We're all a bunch of people who are stuck not being able to work because of a random act of vandalism.
While fighting that fire, the department learned of additional garbage fires on West Lake Street. An employee of a nearby business told police he saw someone setting the fires. Minneapolis police responded and detained a man, the fire department said.