| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|   Firefighters put out the remaining hotspots following the late night fire at the Exchange nightclub in Crosslake - photos by Paul Boblett | The Exchange Destroyed by Fire over Holiday WeekendThe Exchange nightclub in Crosslake was destroyed as a result of a fire in the early morning hours on Saturday, July 5, right after one of the busiest nights of the year. The Crosslake Volunteer Fire Department contained the fire within thirty minutes of their arrival and was assisted by fire departments from Fifty Lakes, Ideal Township, Mission Township, Nisswa, and Pequot Lakes who responded to the call for mutual aid. According to chief Keith Anderson, the dispatcher’s call came at 3:06 am as a result of a passerby’s call to 911. Anderson said that as he arrived on scene, there were flames shooting out of the roof and a lot of smoke. Anderson said no one was inside the building or injured in the blaze, which completely destroyed the southern half of the building. The dining area on the north side sustained significant heat and smoke damage; firefighters said that several trophies displayed on the wall remained in the case, but were completely melted. At 11 am on Saturday morning, firefighters remained on scene to seek out any remaining hot spots and for overhaul operations. This is the second occurrence of fire at the Exchange, which was formerly called The Log Jam. The Log Jam burned down in August of 1971. Most of the notable fires in Crosslake involve restaurants and night clubs; on May 17, 1979, the restaurant formerly known as Echo Ridge, now Zorbaz, a fire resulted from a gas leak; Moonlite Bay was destroyed by fire on May 30, 1984; and the Manhattan Beach Club burned down just over five months later on Oct. 8. The fire is under investigation with the State Fire Marshall. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northland Press | P.O. Box 145 | Outing, MN 56662 | (218) 692-5842 Email: news@northlandpress.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
