News Brief
Note: this is not the full story, this is a synopsis of the events and a sharing of the photos of the fire. A full story will be available in the next edition of the Hastings Journal once all the information is gathered.
Hastings received another kick to the midsection Wednesday night. at 10:34 p.m., the call came in reporting a fire at the now-closed Hastings Creamery. By the time crews arrived on the scene, large plumes of black smoke could be seen along with the fire that created the smoke. By 11:00 p.m. when the Journal arrived on the scene, the flames had enveloped the entire middle of the property and multiple agencies set up to play defense until the fire was brought under control. They did not gain control until around 2:00 a.m.
There was a shelter-in-place order issued for neighborhoods within a five-block radius because of the chemical content of the smoke. That was lifted around 1:00 a.m.
If you are not currently on the emergency list with the city, you can join via this link.
https://member.everbridge.net/453003085612643/new?fbclid=IwAR3Vl2SDw3PEHMJ-8T_srZW_xFURUgj4PGc9WdzQwQ0zMUObt8ENywyL670
Many members of the Hastings Fire Department spent the entire night tending to the remnants of the fire.
As of noon Thursday, there was a plan to knock down an exterior wall to gain access to areas that were still smoldering to prevent the fire from starting back up. That had been completed mid-afternoon.
Investigators believe they have the location the first started on the property but have not released an official report, nor did they release what caused the fire. The cause may never be known given the extent of the damage and debris inside the building. Late in the afternoon, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms joined the investigation.
There were multiple agencies and companies that assisted with the event.
Fire/EMS
Hastings Fire Department
Prescott Fire Department
Cottage Grove Fire Department
Saint Paul Park Fire Department
Newport Fire Department
Randolph-Hampton Fire Department
Miesville Fire Department
Inver Grove Heights Fire Department
Rosemount Fire Department
Apple Valley Fire Department
Farmington Fire Department
Law Enforcement
Hastings Police Department
Dakota County Sheriff
Minnesota State Patrol
Dakota County Special Operations Team
Emergency Medical Services
Allina Health EMS River Falls
MHealth Fairview EMS
Businesses
Kwik Trip
XCEL Energy
Thankfully, throughout the entire ordeal, no one was injured.
Again, the full story will be published in the September 21 edition of the Hastings Journal.
We are opting to share the photos here to give readers the highest resolution photos and to share as many as we can of this historic and sad event.
Ground-level photos by Bruce Karnick
Aerial photos courtesy of a licensed 107 pilot.
