A fire destroyed the Osnabrock Farmers Co-op Elevator in Nekoma, N.D., tonight, drawing about 50 firefighters from three counties and more than a hundred spectators and helpers. Farmers volunteered their field tank trucks to haul water, and fire departments from nearby Langdon, Milton, Edmore, Munich, Osnabrock and Fairdale, N.D., responded, said Dick Wilhelmi, chief of the Nekoma Fire Department.
"By far," he said, it's the biggest fire in the history of the Cavalier County town of 60 people known for its Cold War missile sites. Nekoma is about 70 miles northwest of Grand Forks.
Fire and smoke
The fire call came in at 5:15 p.m., Wilhelmi said. An elevator employee said an alarm went off in the elevator and the control panel indicated there was an overheated bearing in the "head" or top of the elevator. Shortly after that alarm, fire and smoke could be seen coming from the top of the 110-foot old tin-covered wooden structure, Wilhelmi said. There was no explosion reported, just fire and smoke, he said.
Wanvek Construction of Fargo, which is putting up windmill towers near Langdon, brought over a large crane that was used to lift a fire hose up to the top in an attempt to get more water faster and closer to the fire.
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High winds endanger town
The high winds, from the southeast at 20 mph to 30 mph, endangered the small town, which lies mostly to the immediate north of the elevator. As one main part of the elevator collapsed from the flames, "We had a huge tower of sparks that flew across some of the dwellings," Wilhelmi said. "Some responders formed a unit and patrolled the whole area, putting out spot fires."
The dry, windy conditions posed a real threat to the town and nearby farm fields, but winds quieted down later in the evening, he said.
No one was reported injured and no other structures were damaged, he said.
By about 9:30 or 9:45 p.m., most of the structure had collapsed in on itself and the fire, still burning with flames 30 feet in the sky, was working its way to extinction, he said.
"We will be here all night," he said. "This will be hot for a few days, the way it looks."
The elevator was very busy unloading farm trucks full of wheat and barley today, Wilhelmi said.
Plenty of time to
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move vehicles
Because the fire started in the top, there was plenty of time to move vehicles, rail cars, construction equipment and other possible fire targets near and in the elevator before the fire moved down lower, he said.
"There's just a shell left, part of the office and part of the main house," Wilhelmi said about 10:30 p.m. "It's pretty well to the ground right now."
"We're in a defensive mode right now, keeping propane and gas tanks wetted and cooled," he said.
Reach Lee at (701) 780-1237; (800) 477-6572, ext. 237; or send e-mail to slee@gfherald.com .
