Heavy Smoke Causes Evacuation at Searles Building in St. Cloud

(KNSI) – The new occupants of the Searles Building on 5th Avenue in St. Cloud got a scare as they continue to prep for the opening of the Tequila Town restaurant.

On Thursday morning at about 11:15, owner Moises Morales says contractors were inside when they decided to test out the HVAC system.

He explains, “And as soon as we turned on the heater, one of the breakers…A few minutes later the fire alarm went off and then we look at the panel and it says second floor sensor, smoke or something like that. So, we went to the second floor and it was all covered in smoke. Might even smell like an electrical problem, you know? We didn’t see any flames or anything.”

They called 911 and were told to exit the building immediately. The St. Cloud Fire Department responded and cleared the scene, finding little damage. Battalion Chief Brett Young says firefighters were able to get things under control in short order.

He says, “Crews arrived on scene and found a light haze. They quickly searched and determined that no occupants were inside the building. Currently, there is a light haze but it’s dissipating now. We secured all utilities.”

The investigation continues. Fire crews were on scene for approximately an hour.

KNSI Reporter Jake Judd contributed to this story.

___