SARTELL, Minn. -- Fire crews will try to get into the Verso Paper plant today in hopes of finally stopping the flames.
Sartell Fire Capt. Jerry Raymond gave the Sartell City Council an update Tuesday night about where operations were in putting out the largest fire in the city's history.
An explosion at the Verso Paper plant Monday started a large fire in the paper warehouse, severely damaging the building. Firefighters stopped the fire from spreading to the rest of the plant.
About 20 fire departments have responded to the scene. Firefighters from around the state came Tuesday night to watch the building so local firefighters could get some rest.
A structural engineer visited the site and assessed how safe the building is. Raymond said the engineer placed barriers inside the building to show firefighters how far they can safely go into the building.
Today firefighters will go to those barriers and determine how best to proceed. Raymond said they plan to start removing the large paper rolls.
The paper warehouse has nearly 4,000 rolls of paper, each weighing several tons. Once removed, they will either be unrolled so firefighters can put out flames or they will be submerged in water.
Sartell Fire Chief Ken Heim didn't mince words Tuesday during a press conference.
"We have a massive challenge ahead of us," he said.
As of Tuesday night, the fire was 95 percent contained. Firefighters haven't been able to get to the rolls at the back of the building. The fire occurred in the middle section of the warehouse.
The north and south portions of the warehouse were not as badly damaged. Still, the damaged area is about 250 feet by 400 feet, Heim said.
"We're dealing with a major area," Heim said.
The building is very unstable and structural beams are resting on top of paper rolls, Heim said. Crews tried to use a crane to break through the roof but were unsuccessful.
A company was brought in to test the air quality in the warehouse, Raymond said. But he said the air outside the building is safe and residents shouldn't be concerned.
The investigation on the cause is ongoing, but Heim said there are "possible indications" of an air compressor explosion.
Raymond said the building with the papermaking machines received some minor damage but not enough to impact their operation.
During Tuesday's council meeting, members praised city staff and the emergency responders for their work. They also thanked community members who have helped.
"When we're at our worse, some folks come out with their best," Mayor Joe Perske said.
Copyright 2012 - St. Cloud Times, Minn.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
