SPRING GROVE, Minn. – Fire that was discovered mid-afternoon and burned into the night wiped out the downtown Ace hardware store and six walk-up apartments. Tenants who were home all escaped in time. Firefighters believed the blaze started in one of the apartments. Fire crews were summoned from five nearby communities. To make room for equipment and hoses, State Highway 44, which runs down Main Street, was barricaded and traffic rerouted. It was not expected that the street would reopen until dawn. The town’s power supplier, MIEnergy of Rushford, disconnected power to the South Side, also to facilitate the work of firefighters. Water was a problem. “We drained our water tower so fast,” said Fire Chief Trent Turner. Townspeople were asked to limit their water use. A further problem was below-zero temperatures and blizzard-strength gusts.
Vexatious flames. The fire apparently creeped between a new roof and old roof. Getting to the flames was a challenge. Not until near midnight was the fire quelled.