The Minot Fire Department received a call of a building fire at midnight Tuesday. When they arrived on scene they found three floors of the Halls Apartments showing visible flames.

“It caught fire quick and spread quickly,” said Derek Hackett, City of Minot public information officer. “It was all hands on deck for the fire department.”

The apartment building, which was constructed in 1916 and is located at Third Avenue and Second Street Southeast, contained 28 individual apartment units. It is situated directly west of the Ward County Courthouse.

According to Investors, Management and Marketing, the company that oversees operation of the building, 26 of the apartments were occupied at the time of the fire. A complete accounting of the people who were occupying the building was completed Wednesday with very favorable results.

Kim Fundingsland/MDN The roof of the apartment building collapsed early during an overnight blaze at the Halls Apartments in downtown Minot. Here firemen continue to apply water to hot spots within the building Wednesday morning. This view shows the south side of the structure which faces Burdick Expressway.

“I’m very thankful all the tenants were able to evacuate safely,” said Minot Fire Chief Kelli Kronschnabel. “We will continue to communicate with them as we determine if it’s safe to allow them to go back into the building to retrieve any belongings.”

A total of 30 firefighters were called to the midnight blaze, many of whom were still on duty Wednesday morning as residents began their morning commute. The south parking lot of the apartment building is adjacent to Burdick Expressway where many motorists slowed down to get a glimpse of the smoldering building which was still being attended to by firefighters.

A considerable amount of water was used to fight the fire. Streets in the area were coated with ice Wednesday morning due to runoff from fire hoses, but those slippery conditions diminished as the thermometer rose above the freezing mark later in the day.

A spokesman for IMM said the management company was “doing what we can to help with housing” for those displaced by the fire. The Red Cross and YWCA, the latter located across the street to the north of the fire, was offering assistance to displaced residents in need of help.

No cause of the fire was immediately given Wednesday and Hackett said there was no timetable for when a cause might be determined. Firefighters and police were expected to remain on the scene at least through Wednesday night to monitor any possible flare-ups. An effort is being made to keep anyone from entering the building, including fire inspectors, until a safety assessment can be made.

Kim Fundingsland/MDN A total of 30 Minot firefighters responded to a fire that broke out about midnight Tuesday and fully consumed a 28-unit apartment building. No injuries were immediately reported.