UPDATE:Kinnickinnic fire blazes overnight

• Building catches fire

River Falls firefighters spent the early morning hours combating this blaze on the Bettendorf property in the town of Kinnickinnic.

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River Falls firefighters were dispatched to a 1:30 a.m. Feb. 14 fire call at the Bettendorf Excavating property, 285 County Road SS. A building shed was ablaze.

The first crews on the scene found flames and smoke coming from the building. Other firefighters responded from Hudson, Roberts, Hammond, Ellsworth and Lower St. Croix.

It took about four hours to completely put out the blaze. High winds and the collapse of the shed's metal roof hampered firefighting efforts.

The building sustained major damage. Some equipment inside on the north end appears salvageable.

There were no injuries. Property damage as a result of this town of Kinnickinnic fire has yet to be tabulated.

The blaze is still under investigation.River Falls Ambulance also responded and assisted with the overnight fire.

UPDATE

The Bettendorfs' daughter, Darcey Rodewald, said at 8:30 a.m. that both her parents, John and Candace, are shaken but physically unharmed by the fire. At the time of the fire, her mother was out of town and her father was sleeping.

Rodewald said she is extremely grateful to whichever neighbor awakened her father with a call to the Bettendorf home, which sits only yards away from the shop that burned. She said that call probably saved her dad’s life.

Though the family is relieved that no human lives were lost, the Bettendorf’s daughter say the loss of the large shop is “devastating,” It held the business office and computers as well as 30 years’ worth of memories and possessions.

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