Grand Forks Herald
(TNS)
Mar. 28—LANGDON, N.D. — Austin LaFrenz was busy Wednesday morning handling phone calls, insurance and other details following a Monday fire that destroyed his seed cleaning plant and elevator, LaFrenz Seed Solutions.
He said no one was injured, and his time is being spent handling the aftermath of the fire on his business.
"It's been a busy time here," he said. "I'm trying to get things organized. It's kind of a mess right now."
Langdon's volunteer fire department received the call at about 2:11 p.m. Monday, March 25, said Laurence Henry, the city commissioner who handles Langdon's volunteer fire department, and arrived at the scene a few minutes later. LaFrenz, a volunteer firefighter himself, reacted quickly and made the call, Henry said.
The fire department managed to save important paperwork, computers and other materials, Henry said, and right away attempted to get water on the fire. The fire was located in the upper levels, which Henry said is difficult to access. Even when the department got access, 30 mph winds kept the fire going. It was around 9 p.m. when the fire was finally extinguished, he said.
The fire also spread to grass nearby, which the department had to spend time on as well. The department was assisted by the Munich Fire Department.
LaFrenz has a struggle ahead of him, Henry said, but he hopes he'll be able to reubild.
"It's a total loss," Henry said. "It's completely gone."
It's been a few years since the fire department has received a call like this, he said. Langdon's firemen have assisted with other grain elevator fires before, but in other communities. The total destruction of the elevator means a concrete cause for the fire can't be found, but Henry said he guesses it was a bearing that became too hot, mixed with the grain and dust acting as fuel.
"That seems to be a lot of issues with grain elevators," he said. "Grain elevators are always a struggle. I don't know of too many that actually survived once they got going. It just takes off. There was nothing we could do to save it."
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