Snow Hampers Firefighters at St. Paul Blaze

Deep snow and bitter cold hampered St. Paul firefighters as they battled a three-alarm fire at a furniture store early on Dec. 14.

The fire at Advanced Furniture and Repair was reported around 3:20 a.m.

Authorities say the fire spread fast, and all the snow that fell over the weekend made it difficult for firefighters to put enough water on the blaze. Crews had to dig through the snow to find hydrants to hook up their hoses.

St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard says two firefighters suffered minor frostbite and were treated at the scene.

He says that as far as officials know, there was no one inside the building.

Zaccard is also asking residents to shovel out the hydrants near their homes.