2002 August Newsletter - Laserfiche WebLink

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' August 2002 YOUR CITY HU.GOREPORT HUGO CITY HALL, 14669 FITZGERALD AVENUE NORTH HUGO, MN 55038 (65 1) 762-6300 HUGO AMERICAN LEGION HALL MEETING DESTROYED BY FIRE NEWS American Legion Post 620, located at 5736 147th Street North, was destroyed in a fire that began on the evening of Monday, July 15 and rekindled early the fol- Because the American Legion was lowing morning. The building, the home of Post 620 since 1962, is described as host for many community meet- a total loss by Hugo Fire Chief Jim Compton. Established in 1947, Post 620 cur- ings and events, these will now rently has 127 members and 71 women in its Auxiliary. Mayor Fran Miron calls have to be relocated due to the fire. the Legion "a cornerstone of the community," adding, "The membership within Hugo Fire Chief Jim Compton has the Legion have been pillars of the community—including many who have served offered the Hugo Fire Hall to any as City officials—and they have a very strong Auxiliary." group that formerly used the Legion building, and City The Initial Fire - Monday Night Administrator Mike Ericson has According to Chief Compton, at 5:59 p.m. on Monday, July 15, the Hugo Fire also offered the City Hall's Oneka Department received a call to respond to a grease fire in the kitchen of the Room. American Legion building. They arrived three minutes later to find heavy black smoke coming out of the building. After putting the fire out in the kitchen, they The following events have been noticed fire coming out of the vents on the roof. "So we cut a ventilation hole in scheduled at new locations: the roof and put out the fire in the attic area," he stated. "We pulled the entire ceiling down in the kitchen and about two-thirds of the ceiling in the ballroom. American Legion Post 620 We had some hot spots, so we went up and took care of them and sprayed the Monthly Meetings entire attic area with fire suppression foam." 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7 pm US Bank The building was ventilated, and for the next three hours firefighters continued 14431 Forest Blvd. North their "mop up" — carefully searching through the building to check for any more areas of fire. In all, 23 Hugo firefighters spent about three and one half hours at American Legion Post 620 the scene. At that point, Compton estimates that about half of the building would Auxiliary Monthly Meetings have needed to be replaced. 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7 pm Blacksmith Lounge The Fire Rekindles - Tuesday Morning 17205 Forest Blvd.North Compton returned to check the scene twice after leaving with his crew at 10:30 p.m. He also asked the Washington County Sheriffs Department to do hourly American Legion Post 620 checks on the building. At 4:54 a.m. a deputy saw smoke coming out of the ven- Auxiliary Fall Craft Fair tilation hole that had been cut in the ceiling. He immediately paged the Fire November 9 Department, and when Compton arrived three minutes later, there were flames Hugo Fire Hall LEGION FIRE: 5323 140th Street North Continued on Page 2