Fire Destroys Greenhouse, Damages Two Other Businesses
COLUMBUS, Minn. (WCCO) –More than 150 firefighters from more than a dozen north metro departments responded Wednesday morning to battle a massive fire near Forest Lake that destroyed a greenhouse and damaged two other businesses.
According to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, crews responded shortly before 2 a.m. to a fire at Bergen's Greenhouse, located in the 13800 block of Lake Drive in Columbus. An explosion was reported and the fire quickly engulfed the massive, 12-acre structure.
"The greenhouse is pretty much decimated," said Cdr. Paul Sommer.
He added that the scene was extremely hazardous for firefighters, as they didn't know what kind of chemicals the greenhouse contained.
"It's a very large operation," Sommer said, "any number of chemicals could have caused an explosion, including propane, fertilizers and various chemicals."
Still, no injuries were reported.
The greenhouse was a major supplier of hanging baskets and plants for Midwest retailers. According to one worker, not one dandelion survived the fire.
The Forest Lake Fire Department battled the flames with the assistance of 12 other neighboring departments. And because the greenhouse was in a rural area, fire trucks had to leave the scene in order to fetch more water.
The greenhouse employed around 125 people, with some seasonal workers living onsite. They are now displaced, Sommer said.
The flames from the enormous fire spread to a nearby business, Waldoch Crafts.
Don Waldoch, the company president, said a large storage shed sustained damage.
"We'll just have to get on the phone and get more materials ordered," he said. "It is a setback, but we have to bounce back and keep going."
He added that a small landscaping business that stores equipment on Waldoch property was affected by the fire. RNC Landscaping lost all of its equipment that was kept outside outside.
Waldoch Crafts, which has been in business since the mid-70s, employs about 45 people. The family also owns two other businesses.
RNC Landscaping employs around 25 people, Waldoch said.
The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.