BEMIDJI -- Lightning strikes were thought to be the cause of fires Friday morning during a thunderstorm that destroyed a town hall and a barn near Bemidji.
At 10:15 a.m. southwest of Bemidji near Becida at the Fern Township Town Hall, the structure was fully engulfed when firefighters from Bemidji and Solway arrived. They used two fire engines and one water tender to control the blaze and were on scene for about three hours. No injuries were reported, but the building sustained significant damage, the release said.
Northwest of Bemidji, just a few minutes earlier, Bemidji Fire Chief Dave Hoefer said the department received a report of a barn fire in Liberty Township. Hoefer said the occupants of the home heard a loud bang and a lightning flash before seeing that the barn was on fire.
When crews from the Bemidji and Solway fire departments arrived on scene, Hoefer said the structure was fully engulfed by flames, but was the only building on site that was on fire. Firefighters used one fire engine and three water tenders to battle the blaze, and were on scene about 2½ hours. No one was injured. The barn is considered a total loss, a release from the department said.
