Fire destroys Winona elevator

A fire Tuesday destroyed the Knott grain elevator located in Winona. Fire crews received the alarm at about 1 p.m. and the top of the elevator was engulfed in flames by the time Endicott volunteers arrived on the scene.

Endicott Fire Chief Keith Luft was coordinator for the fire response.

The burning elevator collapsed after fire crews had been on the scene for approximately two hours. Grain could been seen spilling from the structure as it toppled.

Colfax fire crews took the department's ladder truck to the fire, but it was not used in an attempt to put out the fire which gradually burned down the structure.

Fire crews from St. John, LaCrosse and other departments also responded to the scene.

Two railroad grain cars were located next to the elevator at the start of the fire, but a Watco engine was at the Winona location and able to pull the cars clear.

The Knott elevator was privately owned and not part of the Northwest Grain Growers system which is based in St. John.

Wind gusts from the west blew the embers into a CRP field of grass which was located on the south side of the elevator, and fire crews extinguished several spot blazes, top photo Page 1A. Photo at right is grain spilling from the destroyed elevator as crews stayed with the blaze into the evening and through the night.

The fire was still burning inside remnants of the structure Wednesday morning.