Fire destroys Leech Lake Housing Authority’s building

The tribal agency that oversees the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s housing program is recovering from a fire that consumed its building early Monday morning. 

Reuben St. Cyr, executive director of the Leech Lake Housing Authority, said he was on the scene of the fire after the facility’s emergency system alerted him and maintenance staff.  

The building in Cass Lake, approximately 20 miles east of Bemidji, serves as a hub for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, including the tribe’s housing program. St. Cyr described the building, which served as a repair garage and office space for more than 35 staff members, as a “total loss.” 

The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s office has opened an investigation into the cause of the fire. Though the official cause hasn’t been confirmed by the State Fire Marshal’s office, St. Cyr said it was likely an electrical fire cause by an old vending machine. 

Robert Jaspers, fire chief of the Cass Lake Rural Volunteer Fire Association, said he could not comment on the cause of the fire.  

Jaspers said half a dozen Cass Lake volunteer firefighters were dispatched just after 2 a.m. on Monday. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find heavy smoke coming from the building. 

According to Jaspers, the approximately 8,000-square-foot building did not have a sprinkler system, though the building did have fire alarms, which were activated. 

The fire chief said Cass Lake firefighters were assisted by the Bemidji Fire Department within approximately 30 minutes after the initial call. A total of 20 firefighters fought the blaze for the next several hours. 

The fire was contained by approximately 5 a.m. Jaspers said firefighters remained on the scene until almost noon on Monday.

St. Cyr said Leech Lake Housing Authority will relocate its operations, prioritizing continuation of housing services. The team will meet on Friday at the Prescott Community Center in Cass Lake to discuss possible options.

St. Cyr suggested the housing authority might be relocated to building which formerly housed the Palace Casino, north of Highway 2. He said it is possible the agency could make use of several FEMA houses the band received for emergency housing during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The only thing on my mind is to continue to find a way to move forward,” St. Cyr said. 

St. Cyr said the agency works to house approximately 600 tribal members living on the reservation and manages a waiting list of another 600 people who are seeking housing. He also said that the information and data the band relies on to manage its housing operations is backed up on a cloud-based server and was unaffected by the fire.

Cleanup following the fire will not begin until the State Fire Marshal’s office has completed its investigation. A report is expected in the coming weeks, according to Jaspers. 

There were no injuries reported as of Tuesday.