R.D. Offutt potato warehouse in Minnesota burns down

A large potato warehouse in western Minnesota operated by the nation’s largest potato producer burned well into the evening and was being carefully watched nearly a full day later as the charred structure and piles of potatoes smoldered Wednesday under windy conditions, authorities said.



The blaze broke out at the R.D. Offutt Co. warehouse on the western edge of Perham about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, with crews from 20 fire departments assisting, said Perham Fire Chief Mark Schmidt.



No injuries have been reported, and authorities have yet to pinpoint what led to the fire in the structure, which measures 200 by 300 feet on Hwy. 80.



Amid what little is left of the building, “we still have some things burning inside, the potato piles,” Schmidt added. “Our concern now is what to do with all the potatoes.”



R.D. Offutt said that along with the warehouse and some of its inventory, it also lost various types of loading equipment in the fire.



“We are very thankful that no one was injured and would like to thank the emergency responders and volunteers who were involved in fighting and controlling this fire,” Keith McGovern, CEO of R.D. Offutt, said in a statement.