BROWNDALE, Minn. – The Rohler roller-skating rink, the town’s entertainment centerpiece. went up in flames. Two volunteer firefighters were injured, one in a fall, the other with smoke inhalation. The injuries were not life-threatening. The structure, built in 1956, was a total loss. The cause of the fire was not immediately determined. The rink had been closed two days for Labor Day weekend. Browndale, populatin 670, is 10 miles northeast of Austin. Passersby spotted flames from the roof about 10:50 p.m. and called in the alarm. Firefighters were on scene through the night.
Rohler roller-rink. Claimed to be the largest in the Midwest, 116 feet long and 50 feet wide. Distinguished itself as neither oval nor circular: “You don’t have to skate in circles.” The original wooden floor was resurfaced in 2006 with tempered high-density engineered wood. It retained a 1950s motif.