Roseville firefighters found an employee trapped inside a cooler at Quality Custom Distribution after smoke blocked their escape

By Kristi Miller
Pioneer Press

ROSEVILLE, Minn. — A blaze that broke out Friday morning in a tractor-trailer outside a Roseville commercial building spread to other semitrailers and into the building, trapping a worker who had to be rescued by firefighters, officials said.

The Roseville Fire Department gave the following details in a Facebook post:

At 8 a.m. Friday, firefighters responded to reports of a tractor-trailer on fire at Quality Custom Distribution at 2501 Walnut St. When crews arrived, multiple semitrailers were on fire and the flames had spread to the building.

Firefighters were told an employee was trapped inside a cooler in the building, unable to escape because of the smoke and lack of visibility.

Both Roseville and Lake Johanna firefighters searched the building and found the employee. He was not injured.

It took two hours for crews to put out the hot spots of the fire, which was contained mostly to the exterior semitrailers with only minor damage to the building.

Roseville firefighters were helped by Roseville Police, Lake Johanna Fire, Little Canada Fire, Maplewood Fire, New Brighton Public Safety, North St. Paul Fire, St. Anthony Fire , Vadnais Heights Fire, White Bear Lake Fire and Allina EMS.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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