Saturday’s Fire on First Street Causes Concerns of Duluth’s Old Structures

Staff at Legacy Glassworks said that fires are a problem them, and other businesses on that street should be prepared for with structures this old.

DULUTH, Minn.- Following the fire in Downtown Duluth that destroyed a building at 118 E. 1st Street, other businesses along that road said the number of fires happening to older buildings on their street is cause for a little alarm.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the Duluth Fire Marshal’s office is asking the public for any information on anyone who was in the area at the time of the fire.

According to fire officials, the fire was contained to the one building and didn’t spread to the neighboring Wabasha Bookstore or other structures.

But staff at Legacy Glassworks down First Street at the intersection with First Avenue West said they feel sad seeing what were once historic buildings turned into blighted property by fires.

However, a sales associate there said that is a problem them, and other businesses on that street should be prepared for with structures this old.

“It as definitely crossed my mind,” said Calvin Stuart.

“It’s that with just the age of all the buildings its kind of, not just particularly here, it’s just the whole downtown area is built on hundreds of years old wooden timber structures that are not entirely likely to be supporting,” he said. “It’s definitely something we want to be aware of.”

Meanwhile the old Kozy Bar and Apartments on First street — which was just ravaged by another fire at the beginning of the month — is one of those decades-old buildings.

And due to what fire officials call that building’s questionable structural integrity keeping crews from entering to investigate, the cause of that fire is still unknown.