BEMIDJI 鈥� Downtown Bemidji saw much excitement on the evening of St. Patrick's Day after a fire broke out in an apartment above an Irish pub.
According to a release from Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood, at 7:27 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, the fire department responded to the report of a fire in an apartment above Brigid's Pub, located at 317 Beltrami Ave. NW, in downtown Bemidji.
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Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke showing from a second-story window. Firefighters made entry and found heavy smoke on the second floor, they located the fire inside an apartment and quickly extinguished the flames, the release said.
Firefighters were on the scene for approximately six hours, with 27 firefighters and 10 pieces of equipment. The apartment and its contents sustained extensive damage. Adjacent apartments and businesses sustained smoke and water damage, the release said.
No injuries have been reported.
An investigation conducted by the Bemidji Fire Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal鈥檚 Office has determined that the cause of the apartment fire is related to an e-cigarette.
According to the FDA, the exact causes of vape fires or explosions are not yet clear, but some evidence suggests that battery-related issues may be a cause.
The Bemidji Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Bemidji Police Department, Beltrami County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, Bemidji Ambulance Service, Minnesota State Fire Marshall鈥檚 Office and Ottertail Power Company.
