On November 8, 2018, at approximately 4:25 a.m., the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center was notified of a building on fire behind the Cenex gas station in the City of St. Martin.
Deputies arrived on scene to find a storage shed on the north side of the co-op property fully engulfed in flames.
St. Martin Fire and Rescue, Lake Henry Fire Department and Albany Fire Department responded to fight the blaze. St. Martin Fire Department controlled the fire on the west end of the building to prevent several large fuel tanks from exploding. These fuel tanks were located approximately 30 to 40 feet from the end of the building.
Deputies spoke with an employee who arrived on scene shortly after the fire was mostly extinguished. They stated the west half of the building was used as a maintenance shop and the east half of the building was used for seed corn storage.
An evacuation was not needed due to the direction of the wind blowing the smoke and the containment of the fire. The building was a total loss.
The State Fire Marshall was notified and will be investigating the cause of the fire.