The Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating a Brainerd fire that appears to be suspicious.
The Brainerd Fire Department was called to a structure fire at 8:30 p.m. Monday at an apartment on the 800 block of Quince Street in Brainerd.
Brainerd Fire Chief Tim Holmes said when crews arrived on scene they found heavy smoke coming from the basement door and the windows from the main level of one of the apartment units. He said crews entered the structure and quickly extinguished the fire in the basement. The origin of the fire was on the north side of the basement.
Holmes said the fire appears to be suspicious because of what firefighters found on the scene. He said fire crews were on scene for several hours checking for fire extension in the walls and floor and conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.
There were 23 firefighters on scene who cleared at 11:48 p.m.
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The Brainerd Police Department and the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office assisted the fire department with traffic control and helped block the scene so firefighters could work. Law enforcement also evacuated the residents in the apartment before firefighters arrived on scene.
In other fire calls, Brainerd fire was called at 3:22 p.m. Monday on the 11000 block of Shadow Trail Drive for a fire alarm. Firefighters were canceled en route six minutes later.
