Cause of Minneapolis encampment fire undetermined

Mpls homeless encampment erupts into flames

A massive fire broke out at a beleaguered homeless encampment in Minneapolis. After multiple evictions, Camp Nenookaasi burned to the ground on Thursday.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The cause of the fire at an encampment in Minneapolis that left two people injured remains undetermined.

Crews were called to the encampment at 1105 E. 28th St. around noon on Feb. 29 for a reported fire. At the scene, crews worked to evacuate the site, which had about 50 people living there at the time, but it’s unclear how many were there when the fire occurred.

Officials said two people were treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries, and two adjacent structures sustained damage from the fire.

In a press release on Wednesday, investigators said the fire spread quickly from a yurt in the camp’s south center. However, officials could not identify the ignition source given the "dozens of illegal open fires and propane cooking devices discovered in the fire debris," according to the report.

Since the cause of the fire is undetermined, the case remains open. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or through their website, CrimestoppersMN.org.