Attic and roof of Patrick McGovern pub caught fire Friday night, no one injured – Twin Cities

Public safety officials say a fire that broke out Friday night in the attic of Patrick McGovern’s Pub on West Seventh Street in St. Paul may have been caused by downed power lines in front of the building after an accident.

Around 11:45 p.m., St. Paul police responded to a report of a rollover accident near Irvine Avenue and Ramsey Street involving a Honda Ridgeline, police spokesman Sgt. Mike Ernster.

As a result of the accident, several power lines were cut and a transformer caught fire. Officers had to navigate live wires at the scene and work with firefighters and Xcel Energy to shut off power and remove power lines from the Honda, he said.

Because the driver fled the scene, authorities do not know if the driver, who has not yet been located, was injured.

Authorities believe the crash caused a downed power line near West Seventh and Chestnut streets near McGovern’s Pub, where the fire soon broke out, but say the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Shortly before midnight, the flames broke out in the attic above the third floor of McGovern’s and spread to the roof, said Jamie Smith, a spokesman for the St. Paul Fire Department. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, and a search of the building confirmed that one of them had escaped. According to Smith, the building has extensive water damage.

A preliminary investigation “points to direct electrical contact from downed power lines,” Smith said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.