Residents of a Minnesota town near the South Dakota border are being asked to conserve water in the effort to battle a raging grain elevator fire. The Big Stone County Sheriff’s Office says crews were called to the Wheaton-Dumont Elevator in Clinton Sunday at about 10:45 a.m. on a report of smoke seen billowing from an upper grain tower.
Several neighboring agencies were called in to help because the fire spread to more towers and to the office. Residents during a three-block area of the elevator were evacuated for several hours. Highway 75 remains closed in both directions late Sunday night as multiple departments, farmers and residents still pump and haul water from nearby Lake Eli to battle the blaze. Crews are expected to continue the fight through early Monday.
Even though the evacuation order has been lifted within the area, the sheriff’s office says residents with health conditions are being urged to “take appropriate steps to make sure their safety.” There are not any reported injuries as late as Sunday night. The Red Cross is providing shelter and assistance for those impacted by the hearth.
