Shelter in place lifted after massive fire in Wadena, Minnesota
A large fire burns in Wadena, Minnesota. (Maelvy Castillo / Facebook)
WADENA, Minn. (FOX 9) - A shelter-in-place order in Wadena, Minnesota has been lifted after a massive fire on Monday.
FOX 9 is told the fire is at Minnesota Valley Irrigation started around 3 p.m. on Ash Avenue Northeast. Photos posted online by nearby residents and a local paper showed a large plume of smoke rising from the barn building.
A shelter in place order was put in place for the entire city as the fire burned but was lifted by police around 6:20 p.m.
Along with concerns from the fire, fast-approaching storms are also complicating matters for emergency crews. Firefighters say there are hazardous materials in the building, but the mayor says nothing burning is considered toxic.
In a Facebook message, police wrote: "The cloud of smoke is not dangerous to breathe in, however we are asking residents to shelter in place. We recommend that you close your windows and shut off your air conditioning. We ask everybody to avoid the area as it is causing congestion with emergency equipment."