Fire damages maintenance building at North Shore Marina near Lake Minnetonka

ORONO, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities say two boats caught fire at the North Shore Marina maintenance building near the shores of Lake Minnetonka Saturday morning.

Orono Police Sgt. Kenny Beck said multiple agencies responded to the boatyard fire near Maxwell and Crystal Bays after a person who lived across the street reported it in a 911 call around 6:45 a.m. Saturday. It was initially reported as a house fire.

When crews arrived, Long Lake Fire Chief James Van Eyll said they found a fully engulfed maintenance building at the North Shore Marina near the 3300 block of North Shore Drive. There were two boats that had been worked on inside that caught fire.

The boat structures and its contents were completely loss in the fire, Chief Van Eyll said. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries.

North Shore Marina shared on Facebook Saturday evening they are incredibly grateful no one was hurt during the fire and thanked the first responders.

"Though the building has suffered severe damage we once again are so grateful that nobody sustained any injuries from the fire," the post states. "We are blessed by the outpouring of support and are thankful for the strong community and family that supports us."

The marina said they do not believe there has been any damage to any boats or structures at the marina outside of the maintenance building.

After bringing in three different tanker groups, Chief Van Eyll says firefighters have contained the fire. The fire inspector is on scene now to investigate the cause.

Some residents near the North Shore Marina said they heard a loud explosion in the morning. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Chief Van Eyll said it's not unheard of to hear a boom in a fire of this magnitude.

Resident Janna Sperry Sundby shared a photo of large clouds of smoke coming from the area. She said it smelled like burning rubber.

Credit: Janna Sperry Sundby (Janna Sperry Sundby)

Smoke is also seen in a video taken by resident Heather Holle Hansberger. Responding crews' sirens can be heard in the video's audio. She says her power went out for a few minutes, then she heard a loud boom.