(Merrill) — A shop located about three miles west of Merrill caught on fire Friday evening. The Merrill, Le Mars, and Hinton Fire Departments were all called to respond to the blaze. The alarm was sounded at about 10:35 p.m. at 25872 County Road C-44. Justin Herbst lives at the residence and describes what he saw.
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(photo courtesy of Justin Herbst)
Merrill Fire Chief Jacob Conley says an orange glow could be seen in the horizon once the Merrill Fire Department left town.
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The entire shed and its contents were destroyed by the fire. Conley estimates the damage to exceed $200,000.
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In addition to the two tractors that were lost, a skid loader was also destroyed. The shed contained various oils, lubicants, and rubber tires, which Conley says posed an additional danger.
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The fire remains under investigation. Conley is not certain as to what was the cause of the fire. Herbst say he doesn’t have a clue as to what started the blaze.
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Firefighters remained on the scene until 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The Merrill Fire Department had to return at about 8:30 a.m. in order to extinguish some hot spots.
