Fire destroys Winthrop elevator Facility

was set for

demolition

in 2004

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

WINTHROP -- Firefighters from 14 area cities spent nearly 13 hours battling a fire that destroyed a grain elevator in downtown Winthrop early Sunday morning.

Investigators quickly pointed out that there is no evidence that indicates that the fire is the result of arson, but that possibility has not been ruled out. Furthermore, they currently do not see any connection between the Winthrop fire and last Sunday's fire in Gaylord, seven miles east of Winthrop on State Highway 19.

The Winthrop fire was discovered at 2 a.m. at the United Farmers Co-op elevator by a Winthrop police officer who was sitting in the parking lot of a grocery store across the street. The officer reported seeing a small fire coming out of one of the grain bins.

Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. Their efforts involved every fire department in Sibley County as well as fire companies from Hutchinson, Glencoe and New Ulm. They managed to bring the fire under control by 3:30 p.m.

The state fire marshal's office is investigating the blaze.

Jeff Nielsen, general manager of United Farmers Co-op, said the loss will likely measure in the millions. He said the elevator, which has stood on West First Street in downtown Winthrop for nearly 50 years, isn't considered a major loss because the co-op has newer, larger elevators in the area that can hold twice as much grain. It was scheduled for demolition in 2004.

"Nothing good comes out of this," Nielsen said. "There just isn't ... other than the fact that no one got hurt."

Three grain bins, which contained very little grain, remained standing after the fire was brought under control.

The site of the fire employed only one person, Nielsen. The elevator was locked Friday night as usual after that employee finished work. On Saturday, a United Farmers employees was there to retrieve some paper work.

Because the co-op owns larger capacity facilities in other area towns, the Winthrop elevator probably will not be replaced, said Nielsen.

The United Farmers Co-op fire is the second major fire in Sibley County in a week.

John Sommer, first assistant chief of the Winthrop Fire Department, said the elevator fire is the largest such blaze in Winthrop since the 1960s. Last Sunday's Unidoor fire in Gaylord is said to be the largest such blaze in that town in just as many years.

The news of the elevator fire spread fast and several townspeople drove around roadblocks and stopped to talk to firefighters about the blaze.

George Steinhagen, a farmer who lives near Gaylord, said he heard the sirens from that town and came over to see for himself.

Myron Schroeder, a retired firefighter, drove down from Willmar with his son Mike, who is also a Willmar firefighter. They stood outside the Winthrop Fire Department's headquarters -- just across the street from the elevator -- and watched as the smoke billowed out from the wreckage.

"She's done with. That's for sure," said Myron as Mike snapped a picture with a camera.

Mike Schroeder said grain bin fires pose special challenges to firefighters because of dust and because grain can burn for a very long time.

"You have to wait until it gets down to a point where you can reach it," he said.

Lt. Steve Dey of the Winthrop Fire Department remembered getting the call from a dispatcher at the Sibley County Sheriff's Department around 2 a.m. He arrived at the fire station a half hour later and had just come out with his gear on when the elevator exploded, sending debris and cinders as far away as City Hall, which is two blocks north of the elevator.

Firefighters used the roof of Kevin's Market, the grocery store from where the Winthrop police officer first saw the flames, as a lookout for any airborne cinders that may have landed on rooftops. Cinders caused moderate damage to the plastic awning and the rear greenhouse of the store. They reportedly flew as far as one mile from the fire, causing some firefighters to patrol the northern end of Winthrop to make sure the cinders didn't ignite any houses.

Fire Chief Mike Trebesch credited aerial ladder companies from Glencoe and New Ulm for making major gains during the first few hours of the fire. Some 200 firefighters were at the scene of the fire, including departments from Hutchinson, Brownton, Glencoe, Fairfax, Lafayette, New Ulm, Gaylord, Green Isle, Arlington, New Auburn, Gibbon and Henderson.

He said there was very little grain inside the elevator at the time of the fire, although diesel fuel tanks located about 50 feet from the fire and a fertilizer business across the street added some concerns.

"Otherwise, considering what we had here, it went pretty well," Trebesch said.

Sommer said the Unidoor fire was harder to fight because there were more materials burning inside the buildings, although the elevator was larger in terms of square feet.

"We tested our mutual aid system," Sommer said, referring to an agreement between all the fire departments in Sibley County. "And we found out it works."

At mid afternoon, debris remained smoldering. Teams of firefighters planned to keep watch on the site.