Fire damages barber shop, grocery store in St. Paul, Minn.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A fire damaged two businesses in St. Paul, Minnesota late Saturday night. 

At approximately 9:37 p.m., the St. Paul Fire Department responded to a fire at Selby Avenue and St. Albans Avenue. Both Clean Cuts and the grocery store were damaged by the blaze.

Officials say both businesses were closed and the apartments above were empty at the time. 

According to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Gaede, it took about 70 firefighters six hours to put the fire out - only made worse by the frigid temperatures.

"It was a tough fire to fight...we had hose lines freezing up; we had slippery conditions out there," he said. 

Now, investigators are questioning if the building is structurally sound.

A former worker at the store, Richard White, said the store was a landmark for many in the area.

"I hear stories all the time. People say they've come in since they were younger," White said. "It was a pretty cool store. The owner, he looked out for the neighborhood. It hurts to see it like this"

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.