Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire

Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire
DateNovember 25, 1982 (1982-11-25)
Duration
  • 12 hours (under control)
  • Over 60 hours (fully extinguished)
LocationDowntown Minneapolis, Minnesota
Coordinates44°58′37″N 93°16′15″W / 44.97694°N 93.27083°W / 44.97694; -93.27083
TypeStructure fire
CauseArson
Non-fatal injuries10
Property damage$90 million - $100 million (estimated)
Arrests2 minors

The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day fire was a five-alarm fire that destroyed two buildings, covering an entire block of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It took place on November 25, 1982, and lasted into the following days. Affected were the 16-story headquarters of Northwestern National Bank (now Wells Fargo) and the vacant, partially demolished Donaldson's department store, which had previously moved across the street. Nobody was killed as a result of the fire, though 10 firefighters were treated at hospitals for minor smoke inhalation.