Fire damages St. Peter apartment building

(St. Peter, MN) – An apartment building was heavily damaged by a fire in St. Peter Thursday afternoon.

The St. Peter Fire Department responded to a building on the 1400 block of North Washington Ave just before 1 p.m., where the blaze appeared to have started in an apartment, according to a news release.

The first floor was evacuated immediately when law enforcement arrived, but officers were forced out of the building by heavy smoke and flames, according to the release.

One resident was rescued by ladder from a third-floor balcony as firefighters battled a heavy blaze on the building’s northeast side, says the release.  At the same time, fire teams swept the building and evacuated residents, unit-by-unit.  All residents escaped safely.

One of the firefighters suffered a minor injury, and was treated at the scene by paramedics, according to the release.

Fire crews remained on the scene until 5 p.m. Thursday.

Lloyd Management, the building management company, has already secured housing for the residents of the building, and the Red Cross was notified to assist residents.

The Kasota and North Mankato Fire Departments also responded to the fire.