Crews battle large fire at Minneapolis encampment

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A large fire burned Monday afternoon at an encampment in Minneapolis' Phillips neighborhood.

Minneapolis encampment fire creates massive plume of smoke

What we know: The fire is burning in the area of East 29th Avenue and 14th Avenue South.

Aerial video shows crews working to knock down flames.

The fire created a large plume of smoke that was visible for miles in the city around 2 p.m. The fire seems to have burned through the encampment that covers what appears to be a single vacant lot at the corner of the two streets just north of the Greenway.

In a news release, firefighters say they arrived to find the entire encampment engulfed, including tents and yurts, with propane tanks exploding. Police had already helped evacuated residents.

Crews were able to knock down the flames and cool propane tanks. No injuries were reported.

What's next?: City officials confirmed this encampment, along with a second encampment at East Lake Street and Columbus Avenue, would be closed following fires on Monday.

In a statement, a city spokesperson wrote: "The homeless response team is still on site, working to offer shelter to the displaced encampment residents. Encampments are not safe or dignified places to live, and in this weather, propane tanks pose a severe safety risk to people in encampments and the surrounding areas."

Firefighters say it's unclear exactly how many people were living in the encampment, but about 20 residents were still there when crews arrived.

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Fire dangers for people experiencing homelessness

Digging deeper: Minutes before the larger fire, firefighters had been called out around 1:45 p.m. to another encampment near East Lake Street and Columbus Avenue South for a report of a fire there.

At that encampment, crews found a small rubbish fire that was burning near a propane tank. Crews were able to knock down the fire and cool the propane tank. Again, there were no reported injuries in that fire.

The backstory: Monday's fire came as temperatures in Minneapolis remained in the teens during the day.

Fires at homeless encampments are not uncommon during the winter, as residents try to keep warm in the face of falling temps. However, the exact cause of Monday's fire is not yet known.