A steam pipe explosion beneath a downtown Duluth parking ramp Monday afternoon blasted a Buick off the ground and into a nearby SUV.
The explosion came from either a 10- or 18-inch pipe beneath the pavement of the ramp next to Minnesota Power, said Richard Mattson, assistant chief of the Duluth Fire Department. No one appeared to be in the ramp at the time of the explosion and no injuries were reported, he said.
The explosion was reported at 3:46 p.m. A fire alarm went off inside the Minnesota Power building, and all employees evacuated, said Eric Olson, a spokesman for Allete, parent company of Minnesota Power.
Cars in the ramp were covered in dust and insulation residue, and a large duct that fell in the explosion still was emitting steam 45 minutes after the explosion. No steam was entering the Minnesota Power building, and the insulation that was exposed when the pipe exploded didn't contain any asbestos-related materials, Mattson said.
Fire Capt. Charlie Smith said the Buick, which probably was directly above the explosion, was lifted and moved about 4 feet.
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"There's a piece of blacktop about 5 inches thick and 4 feet in diameter laying up against the [SUV]," he said.
People parked in the ramp were instructed to wait until the steam stopped before they could leave. Aside from the parking ramp ground level being covered in insulation, no structural damage occurred, Mattson said.
