St. Paul Crews Battle 3-Alarm Fire

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- Snow and cold are working against fire crews as they battle a three-alarm fire at a furniture store in St. Paul.

Crews were called to Advanced Furniture and Repair on Prior Avenue around 3:20 Tuesday morning.

The fire spread fast, likely because of the chemicals inside the store. Crews attacked the fire from several angles and worked to keep the fire from spreading to two nearby buildings.

Firefighters don't think anyone was in the building when the fire started.

All the snow that fell over the weekend slowed crews responding to the fire. Crews had to dig to find hydrants to hook up their hoses.

The St. Paul Fire Marshal says this is a good reminder to everyone to shovel hydrants near you, because when there's a fire minutes -- and even seconds -- matter.

Xcel Energy is also at the scene of the fire because several power lines in the area have fallen.

WCCO-TV's Angela Davis Reports