Authorities: 5 dead, 1 unaccounted for after fire in building housing Irish pub in Minneapolis

5 dead, 1 unaccounted for in Minneapolis fire

MINNEAPOLIS — Five people died and at least one remained unaccounted for Friday after a fire swept through a two-story building in Minneapolis that included several apartments and an Irish pub, authorities said.

One woman died early Friday, then three more bodies — including two children— were recovered hours later, said Mayor R.T. Rybak. A fifth body, badly burned, was recovered Friday afternoon, Minneapolis Fire Chief Alex Jackson said. None of the dead or missing were identified.

Firefighters said the blaze broke out about 6 a.m. and they arrived to find heavy flames and smoke coming out of the building, which includes McMahon’s Pub on the first floor and six apartments on the second. By Friday afternoon, the roof had collapsed and firefighters were still extinguishing flare ups.

Officials said the blaze began on the second floor, but it wasn’t yet clear what caused the fire.

Rosie Bell, 21, a bartender and server at McMahon’s Pub, said she was worried about another bartender who lived above the pub and was missing.

“He’s not going to be found. They are going to find a body and we’re going to have a funeral,” said Bell, who was crying as her friends consoled her outside the building.

Authorities found eight violations during a fire code inspection March 15 on the commercial part of the building. Among them, the pub’s fire alarm system hadn’t been tested in more than a year and there weren’t enough fire extinguishers, said Minneapolis Fire Marshal Bryan Tyner.

The owners had until March 30 to fix the violations. Tyner said his office hadn’t yet gone back to see if changes had been made. The residential portion of the building was due for an inspection, he said.

The Twin Cities chapter of the American Red Cross was helping eight adults and five children displaced by the fire, said spokeswoman Carrie Carlson. She said the group would put them up in a hotel for the weekend, help them replace medications and provide food and clothing.

Dave Olson, 40, said he lived in the neighborhood and came by to see what was left of the building.

“The really horrible part is that there are people missing. A bar can be rebuilt,” Olson said.

Associated Press writers Chris Williams and Amy Forliti contributed to this report from Minneapolis and Brian Bakst contributed from St. Paul.