St. Paul apartment building to be demolished after devastating fire

St. Paul apartment building to be demolished after fire A 20-unit apartment building in St. Paul is being demolished after a devastating fire caused the roof and some floors to collapse. The Randolph Terrace Apartments were deemed a total loss, displacing dozens of residents. FOX 9's Bill Keller reports. The Brief A 20-unit apartment building in St. Paul is being demolished after a devastating fire caused the roof and some floors to collapse. The Randolph Terrace Apartments were deemed a total loss, leaving dozens of residents displaced. No injuries were reported, though some pets remain missing. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A St. Paul apartment building is being torn down Tuesday, just one day after a devastating fire caused the roof and floors to collapse and displaced dozens of residents. Apartment building demolished after fire Local perspective: The Randolph Terrace Apartments, a 20-unit building on Randolph Avenue, was deemed a total loss after Monday morning's fire. Officials said the approximately 100-year-old building was structurally unsound and needed to be demolished. Demolition was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday, with an excavator brought to the scene. Randolph Avenue is closed between Fairview Avenue and Howell Street during the demolition. Residents lose homes, belongings What they're saying: The fire has left dozens of residents displaced, with many facing uncertainty about where they will go next. Maddy Meyers, who lived in the building, told FOX 9 she lost nearly everything she owned, escaping with only her phone, her cat and the clothes she was wearing. Meyers said she's struggling with the thought of everything she left behind. "I'm remembering everything else I should have grabbed," Meyers said. "And that's really hard because I got out so soon that I'm kicking myself for not grabbing more." Another resident, Dan Chulla, lived in the building with his wife and 15-month-old daughter. He fears sentimental items from his daughter's first year may be gone forever. "She first started to say 'moo,' and we'd put the cow pajamas on," Chulla said. "She has this little fox and hound after we watched the movie, and she's only 15 months and she'd carry them around. ... That type of stuff, I hope some of that can be gotten." St. Paul apartment fire witness recalls escape A resident of a 20-unit apartment building on Randolph Avenue in St. Paul describes escaping with his wife and 15-month-old daughter as a massive fire spread through the building, eventually causing the roof to collapse. Fire causes roof and floors to collapse The backstory: The fire broke out shortly before 8:30 a.m. Monday at the four-story apartment building. When firefighters arrived, they discovered flames burning in a difficult-to-access attic space above the top floor. Crews searched all 20 apartment units and evacuated residents before the roof began collapsing. As the building became structurally unsafe, firefighters were forced to shift to defensive operations, battling the flames from outside. No injuries were reported, although some pets remain missing. The Red Cross was called to assist the displaced residents. Dig deeper: While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, some residents believe an electrical issue may have played a role. Chulla said he noticed unusual electrical issues in the building before the fire, including lights flickering throughout the night. "The lights all night were dimming," Chulla said. "At first I thought it was my apartment. I go outside, it was the alley light or whatever. And even the hallway lights, they were dimming and coming back." The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials have not determined whether electrical issues played a role. Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Smith said the collapsed floors and large amount of water used to fight the flames would make determining the cause more difficult. The Source: This story uses FOX 9 reporting and information from the St. Paul Fire Department. Fire St. Paul