Fire destroys Camp Nenookaasi homeless encampment in Minneapolis

Brandon Elias was asleep at Camp Nenookaasi Thursday afternoon when the yurt next to him lit up in flames. The fire spread so quickly that Elias fled his yurt without shoes on, leaving all of his belongings behind.

The fire destroyed the homeless encampment in south Minneapolis shortly after 12 p.m. Two people were treated at the scene for non-life threatening injuries, one for minor burns and another for smoke inhalation, Minneapolis Fire Chief Bryan Tyner said at a news conference. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, he added.

Once Elias, 35, was safely outside of the camp, he looked back and saw half of the lot already destroyed by the fast-moving fire. He heard loud explosions and hissing from propane tanks blowing up in the camp. Dark, heavy plumes of smoke filled the sky.

Trash bins were melted into the ground. Several yurts were reduced to ash.

Standing outside Camp Nenookaasi’s charred remnants Thursday, Elias reflected on the camp’s ongoing losses: “We lose everything every time, even if it’s an eviction, or I guess, a fire.”

The city evicted Camp Nenokaasi three times in four weeks earlier this year, prompting camp residents to relocate each time. The camp, located at S. 11th Avenue and W. 28th Street, was in its fourth iteration when it caught fire. About 50 people, mostly Native, were living there at the time in several heated yurts.

The camp, which numbered about 160 people at one point, was evicted on January 4, January 30, and February 1 from city lots located within a few blocks of each other in the Phillips and East Phillips neighborhoods.

The camp was “fully in flames” by the time firefighters arrived, Tyner said. The fire was called in at about 12:07 p.m., and took about 30 minutes to extinguish.

Tyner said flammable materials at the encampment, including the propane tanks, made the situation more dangerous.

“What we saw today is kind of our worst fear,” Tyner said.

Two buildings near the encampment sustained minor damage to their siding, but crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading, he said.

Christin Crabtree, a camp organizer, said a portable toilet just outside of the camp caught on fire early Monday morning. People in the camp called 911. The fire was mostly out when a Minneapolis fire truck arrived, said Minneapolis fire spokesperson Brian Feintech, adding that the cause of the Monday fire also remains under investigation.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said at the news conference that Thursday’s fire underscores the dangers of encampments. He said the best course of action is for camp residents to get into shelters and then stable, long-term housing.

“Homeless encampments of this significant size are not safe,” Frey said. “They’re not safe for the people living at the homeless encampment, they’re not safe for the surrounding neighbors. They aren’t safe.”

Robert Curry, 53, lives in a house next to the camp and shouted for residents in his building to evacuate when he noticed the fire. Many of the shingles on the back of his house melted.

Curry said neighbors have had a “horrible” experience since the encampment moved in. He said he’s seen hypodermic needles on the ground, piles of trash, and camp residents walking through his backyard.

“I know their situations are really bad enough as it is. And then for them to suffer a loss like that is like, ‘Where are they gonna go now?’” Curry said. “So, my heart goes out to them, but the shit that they’re doing though? Nah, man. That’s not cool.”

Earlier this month, the city dumped concrete onto two of the camp’s former sites to prevent people from occupying the land. City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher said at a news conference that the city might also put down “material” at the latest site. The site will be fenced off and its soil will be tested by an environmental testing firm.

“Our concern is the health and safety of the site right now,” Kelliher said.

Kelliher said Metro Transit provided a bus at the scene to serve as a warming station for camp residents. City and county personnel, as well as the Red Cross, were at the encampment to help connect residents with resources and shelter, she added.

Elias said camp occupants regrouped in nearby places, such as libraries and the Midtown Global Market, immediately after the fire. He doesn’t know where he’ll go next.

“We’ll have to find a new safe place for people to be, because there is no housing for people to move into. They’re all on housing wait-lists,” Crabtree said. “We’re gonna have to raise some funds, and rebuild what we had and try to do what we can to keep people safe for tonight.”

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