Third-Alarm Fire Erupts at Burnsville’s Willoway Apartments; Two Hospitalized, Cause Under Investigation
Published: December 5, 2025.
BURNSVILEE, MINNESOTA — A fast-moving early-morning fire tore through a third-floor apartment at the Willoway Apartments complex, prompting a multi-agency response and sending two people to the hospital.
The first call came in around 1:20 a.m. Friday, December 5, 2025, when Burnsville Fire, Burnsville Police, and Eagan Fire were dispatched to the 13000 block of Morgan Avenue South on reports of an active apartment fire on the building’s third floor. Within minutes, at 1:26 a.m., crews reported a working fire with at least one apartment fully involved. The incident was escalated to a second-alarm, bringing additional firefighters from Apple Valley Fire and Bloomington Fire.
By 1:38 a.m., commanders requested a third-alarm response. More resources arrived from Lakeville Fire, Savage Fire, and Burnsville’s Command Truck was brought to the scene to support incident operations. A Metro Transit-style bus was also requested and used as a warming and temporary shelter space for residents displaced by the blaze. Sources at the scene tell us fire personnel cleared the scene just after 4 AM.
Officials confirm two people were transported to area hospitals. Their conditions have not yet been released. Another individual was treated and released at the scene.
According to KARE 11, neighbors identified the two hospitalized victims as legendary Twin Cities R&B singer Alexander O’Neal and his wife, Cynthia O’Neal. The station reported that a neighbor confirmed their identities, though officials have not formally released the names of those injured. In a comment to Limitless Media News, Alexander O’Neal confirmed that he and his wife were both okay, following the fire.
Firefighters remained on scene for an extended period to extinguish hot spots and assist displaced residents. The extent of the property damage has not yet been detailed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Limitless News will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Map of Willoway apartments in Burnsville, Minnesota.
