(photos: Kendell Kubasch / KRWC Radio)
There’s more information today (Tuesday), on a large fire on Monday that destroyed a building at Forsman Farms, an egg-production facility just east of Cokato off Highway 12.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office says that the Cokato Fire Department was assisted by 14 other departments from Dassel, Winsted, Lester Prairie, Montrose, Waverly, Howard Lake, Annandale, South Haven, Maple Lake, Buffalo, Watertown, New Germany, Rockford and Clearwater.
Reports indicate that the initial call may have gone out to the Cokato Fire Department sometime before 6 AM, with multiple departments called shortly thereafter.
(photo: Nancy Burkstrand)
Firefighters battled not only the large fire at the structure, but also bitterly cold temperatures in the teens below zero, and wind chills close to 30 below. Conditions on the scene were a contrast of giant flames, as well as huge areas of ice that formed almost instantly when water was applied to the fire. Tanker trucks from many departments reportedly had to make multiple trips to and from the scene to re-fill their tanks.
(photo: Kendell Kubasch / KRWC Radio)
Jon Austin, a spokesman for Forsman Farms told KRWC Radio News that the fire was contained to one of five buildings on site, and that building, along with tens of thousands of chickens were lost in the blaze. The Wright County Sheriff’s Department now says more than 100 thousand birds were destroyed.
Austin says there were workers from the company at the site at the time of the fire, but none were in the building that caught fire. No injuries to any company workers or firefighters have been reported, though fire crews faced some extremely dangerous conditions because of the weather.
(photo: Kendell Kubasch / KRWC Radio)
Austin says there were workers from the company at the site at the time of the fire, but none were in the building that caught fire. No injuries to any company workers or firefighters have been reported, though fire crews faced some extremely
Officials say the cause of the fire is under investigation.
