Flames Engulf Bible School Dining Hall Near Bemidji
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – More than 30 firefighters from multiple fire departments used about 15,000 gallons of water battling flames Wednesday afternoon at a Bible school dining hall in central Minnesota, officials say.
Chief David Hoefer of the Bemidji Fire Department said the fire on the Oak Hills Bible College campus caused no injuries and started just before 3:30 p.m. Staff at the school reported smoke coming from the dining hall, located on Oak Hills Road Southwest.
By the time crews arrived, fire had engulfed about half the building, Hoefer said. Crews were eventually able to contain the flames to the kitchen and storage rooms.
Thirty-four firefighters ended up responding to the scene, along with five fire engines, three water tenders and a ladder truck. They were on scene for about three hours.
The fire appears to have been an accident, Hoefer said, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fire departments of Cass Lake and Solway also responded to the fire, as did the Beltrami County Sheriff's Department, DNR Firefighters, the State Fire Marshal's Office, Beltrami Electric and the Bemidji Ambulance Service.
Bemidji is about 200 miles northwest of the Twin Cities.
