ST. PAUL, Minn. — A large fire sent a massive plume of black smoke into the sky over St. Paul on Sunday afternoon after pallets caught fire near chemical tanks at an industrial site, according to the Citizen app.
In an update Sunday afternoon, the St. Paul fire chief told NCN that only the pallets are burning and the nearby chemical tanks are not in danger. No injuries have been reported and no evacuation orders have been issued, the chief said. The scene remains active and the public is asked to avoid the area. The initial call came in at approximately 3:28 p.m., according to the chief. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In a follow-up call Sunday evening, a St. Paul Fire Department public information officer told NCN that fire crews remain on scene along with the St. Paul Police Department, which is controlling traffic in the area. Investigators are also on scene, along with another agency bringing in heavy equipment, and a supervisor is inside the building where the fire occurred, the PIO said.
The fire was reported around 3:35 p.m. CT on Oct. 4, 2026, at 859 Prior Ave. N., in an industrial area near N. Prior Avenue, according to Citizen, which marked the incident verified and confirmed firefighters were on the scene. A video from the scene showed a large column of thick black smoke rising over nearby buildings. The incident drew tens of thousands of notifications on the app within minutes.
What led to the fire is not yet known. It is also not yet known whether any injuries have been reported, whether nearby buildings or the chemical tanks were threatened, or whether any evacuations or shelter-in-place orders were issued. Citizen's report described pallets burning near chemical tanks; that proximity has not been independently confirmed by fire officials.
NCN has reached out to the St. Paul Fire Department for more information.
This is a developing story. NCN will update as officials release more information.
