A shuttered creamery in Hastings went up in flames late Wednesday and the building appears to be a total loss.
Fire damages historic Hastings creamery that closed last month
The Hastings Co-op closed in August after the Met Council found milk was leaking into the city's water treatment plant.
September 14, 2023 at 2:43PM
The fire broke out at about 10:30 p.m. at the historic Hastings Co-op Creamery, which had produced a variety of dairy products and organic cheeses for 110 years. The facility closed last month after the Metropolitan Council in June discovered thousands of gallons of milk and cream were leaking into the Hastings Wastewater Treatment Plant, which feeds into the Mississippi River.
Smoke billowed high into the air near the facility at 17th and Vermillion streets at the peak of the fire. Residents were advised to stay indoors due to the heavy smoke in the area. Multiple air samples were taken around the community and were clear of harmful chemicals, a statement from the city said.
"Community members can open their windows and turn on any air exchange systems at this time as there are no threats to the public," the statement read.
Multiple agencies responded to the four-alarm fire.
Authorities shut down a five-block section of Hwy. 61, which reopened Thursday morning, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
No one was on site or injured during the fire, the city said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. The State Fire Marshal and Hastings Fire and Police departments are investigating.
