Fire burns Westbrook business to the ground
WESTBROOK - Fire destroyed a more-than-40-year-old business in downtown Westbrook on Saturday afternoon.
At around 1:45 p.m. Saturday, a fire was reported at the Maynard's Grocery Store. Within two hours, the building was completely destroyed,
Westbrook Police Chief Alan Wahl said the fire started in the back end of the building.
"It started way on the east side of the building," Wahl said. "We're unsure if it was the inside or outside."
Wahl said three employees and about two or three customers were inside the store when the fire broke out.
Wahl said he and law enforcement had to keep spectators away from the fire on the other side of the street.
"A lot of traffic control, everybody's got to be up there close," Wahl said. "We were assisted by the (Cottonwood) County deputy and Minnesota State Patrol."
Westbrook Fire Chief Curt Madson said firefighters also had to work to keep the house located north of Maynard's from being affected.
"We pretty much kept spraying the outside of the building (the house), we kept that cool," Madson said. The action was to prevent the windows from breaking, Madson said.
Madson said the Westbrook Fire Department was assisted by fire units from Dovray, Jeffers, Storden, Walnut Grove and Currie.
"I'm glad we had the manpower there to relieve some of the guys, as hot as it was," Madson said.
The temperature in Westbrook was about 86 degrees Saturday afternoon, Wahl said.
"It seemed like 106 (degrees)," Wahl said.
Madson said the building was still smoldering Sunday morning, but everything was out by the afternoon.
The state fire marshal was investigating the cause of the fire, and arson has not be ruled out, Wahl said.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined, Madson said.
"Hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this," Wahl said.
