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CBS Minnesota
Suspected arsonist in custody after Uptown Minneapolis trash fires displace 6 residents, shutter businesses
By Ubah Ali,
2024-07-27
Frustrations after intentional trash fires set 02:17
MINNEAPOLIS — The lights are on, and the ink is flowing inside Ink Lab in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood. It's the first day back for artists after someone intentionally set several garbage fires.
"Back in the shop we got here this morning and power cleaned," said Erica Bessler on Friday.
David Dettloff, who owns Ink Lab, was finally able to watch the surveillance footage that shows exactly what happened early Monday morning.
In the video, you see a man walk up to a dumpster and look inside before setting it on fire. You can see the large flames quickly spread, scaling up the building and melting everything in its way.
"What mostly struck me is how casually this guy is coming back here and lighting a fire," said Dettloff. "It's that easy to destroy a building and mess with a bunch of people's lives."
The fire left six people without a home, shut down businesses for days, and put one man behind bars.
"If people like me and those who run businesses along this block keep fighting to make this area better, have nice retail stores and decent restaurants for people to visit, we can keep Uptown an exciting environment," he said.
Dozens shared his sentiment at a meeting earlier this month.
"It doesn't make a lot of sense to put an emergency shelter in the middle of a retail space," said one neighbor. "It's not like we'd do that in the Mall of America."
The developer behind the plan said it "will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, comfort or general welfare."
Another planning commission hearing is set for mid-August. Until then business owners in this buzzing neighborhood will be left with some burning questions.
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