Building formerly home to Rudolph's Restaurant damaged in fire
Multiple people were evacuated from a homeless encampment at the former site of Rudolph's Bar-B-Que Restaurant in Minneapolis after it caught fire Friday morning.
Crews with the Minneapolis Fire Department responded to reports of dark smoke coming from a commercial building at 1933 Lyndale Ave. S just after 10 a.m. The building, which until 2018 was home to Rudolph's Restaurant, is now boarded up and vacant.
At the scene, crews found smoke in the rear of the building. Once the fire was extinguished, crews discovered an add-on structure in the back of the building, which was being used as a homeless encampment.
Crews evacuated people from the add-on property and searched it to ensure no one was still inside. The main building was also searched for any additional people or fires.
No one was reported to be injured in the fire, and the incident is currently under investigation.
Rudolph's closed its doors in July 2018 after 43 years in business. It was founded in 1975 by Jimmy Theros, who decided to name it after silent movie heart throb Rudolph Valentino.
