(KNSI) – A person doing metal work inside a shop is believed to have sparked an accidental fire that destroyed a building Tuesday afternoon.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says a 911 call came in about 12:30 of a fire in a large shop in Fairhaven Township. The caller said welding equipment and oxygen tanks were inside the burning structure. When crews arrived, the 48 foot by 64 foot shop was fully engulfed, and several oxygen and propane tanks inside were exploding.
Medics on scene evaluated 71-year-old Kevin Henkemeyer for smoke inhalation. He reportedly said he had been working on a deer stand grinding metal in the shop when he went inside for lunch, looked out, and saw the fire.
The shop is a complete loss.
The South Haven Fire Department, Clearwater Fire Department, St. Augusta Fire Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Deputies, and Mayo Ambulance all responded to the scene.
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