Klaus Solko, co-executive editor 

Driving down the 94 on the evening of Oct. 11, drivers were met with low visibility and the overwhelming smell of fire due to a commercial building on 13th and East Franklin that was burning.

According to MPR News , Abdullahi Omar’s brother discovered the fire when Omar was restocking shelves in his store and his brother yelled. He saw smoke coming from the north side of the building. He tried to extinguish the flames, but the fire was already too far along. Omar owns the Dollar Plus building that was significantly damaged by the fire. 

“All of my favorite memories of the 8th grade involve the Dollar Plus,” shared Augsburg student Devon Standingstrong. “My cousins and I would get Arizona’s when they still were only a dollar from there daily after a full day at Anishinaabe Academy, and we’d spend time in the Lutheran church’s yard on the old merry-go-round before it was removed. The store has been a pillar of our community for a long time, and I am saddened to see it destroyed in this manner. I pray for Abdullahi Omar (owner of Dollar Plus), and my relatives affected by this fire.”

This fire was classified as a three-alarm fire, which means it is a significant fire that could involve a large building, multiple floors or hazardous materials; this one involved the first two. Firefighters reported to MPR News that when they got into the building, aisles were blocked with items and heavy shelving made it difficult to get to the fire. 

While fighting the fire, shelving collapsed onto hose lines. That, combined with the fire’s worsening condition, caused the crews present to be instructed to evacuate to safety. Two firefighters got temporarily trapped in the building. After they were successfully evacuated, they were sent to the hospital for treatment of minor burns and heat exhaustion. 

The fire ended up spreading to the Urban Office of The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and The Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Both offices were resources for tribal members in the neighborhood for things like food support, clothes and other such things. This building also housed archival materials. 

In the Bois Forte Urban Office, a group of elders would gather every Sunday to sew and bead. They were there at 4 p.m. when, as they reported, a kid came and banged on the door saying that there was a fire. All five people who were in the group at that time evacuated. 

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa posted on their Facebook account at 7:25 p.m., updating their community on what was happening. They shared that there were no reported injuries among community members or their staff. 

Standingstrong also shared, “To say this fire is devastating is an understatement. I have spent my entire teenagehood in this section of Minneapolis, and I cannot imagine what the Cultural Corridor will be like if Bois Forte and Fond du Lac are not able to return. Being from Leech Lake, these offices may not be where I personally go to get my tribal I.D renewed, but I still feel the ripple because they are my relatives by Creator’s will. It is reassuring to know that Wicoie Nandagikendan and The Circle’s archives were able to be recovered, but the tribal offices and Dollar Plus were profoundly impacted.” 

Both offices have expressed uncertainty about when they will be able to reopen, but both promise to update when they can. Byron Lumbar, who handles building maintenance for the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, reported that the Fond du Lac side of the building took on a lot of water damage on top of damage from the fire. Lumbar also reported that the part of the building that has the archives of Wicoie Nandagikendan was untouched by any of the damage. Wicoie Nandagikendan is the first Indigenous urban preschool immersion program created in Minneapolis that had not only its archive in the building but also curriculum material. 

As of now, there have been no updates on how the fire started, but there is no suspicion of foul play. Omar says that he will likely be relying on the support from the Somali community and Minnesotans in general as he tries to rebuild his business