Osseo fire destroys scores of ATVs, cycles

Jacob Christianson, Special to the Star Tribune

Traffic backed up in Osseo during a blaze that started when a motorcycle caught fire at Heinen’s

Last update: April 17, 2008 - 12:00 AM

A fire that started in a storage lot at Heinen's in Osseo Wednesday destroyed as many as 100 all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, then quickly spread and destroyed a nearby business.

No one was hurt.

Osseo's main street was closed, and traffic backed up at the intersection of Hwy. 81 and Central Avenue while volunteer firefighters from six departments battled the fire that began at about 3:30 p.m.

An employee at Heinen's was working on a motorcycle when it caught fire, said City Administrator Greg Withers. The fire spread quickly because of high winds and the gasoline. With tires burning, a thick plume of smoke rose into the air.

The fire destroyed a nearby building that housed Advanced Improvements and damaged the exterior of the Heinen's building, Withers said.

The blaze was under control by 4:30 p.m., said Kathryn Janicek, spokeswoman for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

SARAH LEMAGIE AND Mary Lynn Smith

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