Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

ST. PAUL — A fire forced hundreds of people from a St. Paul high-rise, officials said.

The fire started about 8 p.m. Monday in the 16-story Wilder Park senior high-rise building, according to authorities.

Deputy Fire Chief Roy Mokosso said that more than 60 firefighters responded to the scene and evacuated residents. St. Paul police helped search the building and guide residents to waiting buses.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports that because of damage to the elevators, some residents who could not use the stairs were left in their apartments.

Mokosso said at least some areas in the building had sprinklers and the system had activated and reduced the amount of damage.

A fire at a Minneapolis Public Housing high-rise building without sprinklers killed five people in November.