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Massive fire destroys several businesses in Loretto

Massive fire engulfs west metro industrial building
Massive fire engulfs west metro industrial building 01:11

LORETTO, Minn. -- A massive fire torched several west metro businesses Friday evening.

In a video sent to WCCO, flames are seen shooting out of an industrial building in the city of Loretto — a small town between Minneapolis and Buffalo.

The fire chief says semis are stored inside the building, along with a lawn business and a storage facility for the online auction site K-Bid.

One witness told WCCO she heard all kinds of explosions when the fire started and saw huge plumes of black smoke.

loretto-industrial-building-fire.png
WCCO

Fire crews think a vehicle inside the building sparked the flames around 7 p.m. It took about 45 minutes to get the fire under control. 

"So much fire involved," said Fire Chief Jeff Leuer. "Water supply is another issue in this area."

It took 15 departments to extinguish the fire. No injuries have been reported.

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