Blaze at North Dakota Fire Department Totals Building, Damages Trucks

Authorities say a small-town North Dakota fire department lost its building and likely six trucks in a fire.

The blaze at the Glenburn Fire Department was reported about 5 a.m. on March 6. Fire crews from Lansford, Maxbass and the Minot Air Force Base also responded to the call, the Minot Daily News reported.

The structure is considered a total loss, said Lance Johnson, fire district board vice president and firefighter. The fire damaged a large pumper truck, a tanker, three grass fire units and a rescue truck. It is unknown at this time whether any of the vehicles might be salvageable, Johnson said.

“Smoke was rolling out of the building pretty hard,” Johnson said of the scene when firefighters arrived. “Black smoke. Everybody had to go in with air packs.”

Glenburn is a town of about 500 people located about 25 miles north of Minot.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Area departments have offered to loan equipment in the interim as the Glenburn department seeks to restore or replace equipment.