Matt Johnston
Free Press Staff Writer
Green Isle
July 03, 2008 01:04 am
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Firefighters from 22 different departments were called to a two-block-long warehouse fire in Green Isle that started early Wednesday morning and taxed the water supply in this city of 450 residents, forcing the other fire departments to bring tanker trucks and aerial tankers.
Several LP gas tanks stored inside the structure exploded as firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, said Green Isle Fire Chief Dean Stoeckman.
“We couldn’t fight it from the interior,” Stoeckman said. “We had to pour water on it from outside.”
Authorities said a cutting torch likely sparked the fire, where three people were working, at the 98,000-square-foot warehouse. All escaped without injury.
Sibley County Chief Deputy Pat Nienaber said the blaze at Shamrock Storage was reported around 10 a.m. as workers inside the warehouse were cutting metal with a torch.
Firefighters arriving on the scene found the warehouse filled with smoke and intense heat.
Workers in the adjacent OEM Services building were evacuated.
The warehouse contained stored PlayStations and Nintendo video games, Stoeckman said. Firefighters were to remain on the scene overnight, continuing to demolish the building to find remaining hotspots. About 10 firefighters were keeping watch on the structure overnight, Stoeckman said.
City Clerk and Treasurer Paula Geisler said the building is called Shamrock Storage and covers two city blocks on the north side of town.
She said the building stored semitrailer trucks and other items. Whatever is burning inside, she said, every so often “keeps going boom.”
Some nearby homes have been evacuated, and the elementary school was being used as an evacuation center for those who needed to get away from the smoke.
The official cause of the fire wasn’t determined. Officials did not release further details.
Green Isle is about 37 miles north of Mankato.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Photos
No one was harmed when Shamrock Storage in Green Isle was consumed by a fire that began around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities said a cutting torch likely started the fire, which lasted into the afternoon. The Free Press
Firefighters battle the blazes uncovered by construction cranes in the tangled mess of what was once Shamrock Storage. The Free Press
A board lists all the fire departments and other agencies that helped contain the fire in Green Isle. A total of 22 fire departments responded to Shamrock Storage. The Free Press
The Green Isle fire was first reported to authorities at 10:11 a.m., and will continue to be monitored overnight. The Free Press