Progress Report - Minnesota

Coverage of a multi-alarm fire that melted three million pounds of butter; plus the latest "Hot Spots on the Web."

Jan. 1, 2006

2 min read

After worsening conditions forced interior crews to withdraw, defensive operations were initiated using two aerials, a deck gun and handlines.

New Ulm, MN, Dec. 1, 2004 - A multi-alarm fire destroyed a portion of the Associated Milk Producers plant. In addition to destroying the warehouse portion of the building, three million pounds of butter melted in the fire. The New Ulm Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 6:13 P.M. and responded with three engines, one ladder and 36 firefighters. Upon arrival, fire was burning through the roof in the center of the building on the west side. Thirty employees had evacuated the building.

Of immediate concern to firefighters were roof-mounted ammonium storage tanks located near the fire. Mutual aid was requested from the Courtland, Lafayette and Sleepy Eye fire departments at 6:45 P.M. An interior attack lasted one hour and 45 minutes before firefighters were evacuated due to deteriorating conditions. Defensive operations were begun using two aerials, a deck gun and several handlines.

The butter that did not burn melted, ran out of the loading dock doors and flowed three blocks downhill. Some of it flowed into the Minnesota River before sand dikes were built to stop the flow. A block-long, two-foot-deep pond of butter gelled in the 20-degree weather. Fire Chief Curt Curry declared the fire under control at 4:45 A.M. on Dec. 2. Seventy-two sets of bunker gear and 7,900 feet of hose were damaged or destroyed by the melted butter. Damage was estimated at $10 million to the building and $5 million to its contents.

- Jay K. Bradish

"Hot Spots on the Web"

Send your suggested "Hot Spots" website to wernerc@charlottesville

Baytown, TX, Fire Dept. City stations, Ladder 1 photos, apparatus, call statistics and more. Citizens Hose Company/Lancaster, NY, Fire Dept. History, department information, officer leadership and more. Corvallis, OR, Fire Dept. Volunteer Firefighter Programs. Davis-Monthan, AZ, Air Force Base Fire Dept. Personnel, vehicles, training and prevention. DeForest, WI, Area Fire & EMS News, recruiting, station, apparatus and more. Fallon-Churchill, NV, Fire Dept. One of the few volunteer fire departments with an ISO 1 rating. Grover Beach, CA, Fire Dept. Location, climate, department values and more. Holley-Navarre, FL, Fire Dept. Current events, apparatus, department information and more. Marinwood, CA, Fire Dept. Swim safety, reducing toddler fire deaths and more. West Berlin, NJ, Fire Dept. History, station news, members and links.

Site of the month...

Laurel, DE, Fire Dept. Department news, history stations and more. Submitted byFire Chief Charles Werner, CFO Charlottesville, VA, Fire Departmentwww.cfdonline.org Firehouse Magazine contributing editor Firehouse.com TechZone Editor