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White Christmas Blackened By Burnsville Apt. Fire

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Dec 23, 2008 6:12 pm US/Central

White Christmas Blackened By Burnsville Apt. Fire

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) ― This will be a very difficult Christmas for dozens of people in Burnsville, whose homes were destroyed by a huge fire on Monday.

Crews fought massive flames for hours before they could get the upper hand at the Burncliff Apartments. By the time the flames were out, there was nothing left of the building, and more than 100 people were left without a place to live.

The Burnsville Fire Department responded to a 911 call at about 4:00 p.m. from inside the apartments located at 12312 Parkwood Drive. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they saw smoke coming through the roof.

The fire spread quickly and within minutes flames could be visible through the roof and the fire raged out of control.

"Realizing that the fire had gained considerable headway, it vented through the roof, and became hazardous with structural collapse of the roof and the overhangs," said Dan Hove,
Burnsville Fire Department Assistant Chief. "It was at that point that we needed to pull our firefighters out of the building and go to a defensive fire."

More than 120 firefighters and emergency responders from six fire departments fought the blaze for more than six hours, braving demanding sub-zero weather conditions.

Although the building is considered a total loss, there were no reports of missing residents or any injuries.

The management company of Burncliff Apartments is working with the residents in the 64-unit building that was destroyed to help them find another place to live.

The Burncliff Apartments were built in the late 60s, before a state law went into affect requiring buildings to have sprinklers.

Crews were fighting the fire until 1 a.m. on Tuesday and were still putting out hotspots at 1 p.m.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and will be determined through an investigation by the Burnsville Fire Marshal. Due to the size of the fire, officials say it could be an extended investigation.

Relief efforts for residents displaced by the fire continue, with support being provided through cash donations and in-kind support.

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