PIKE TWP— More than 20 firefighters from five area departments spent more than eight hours on a stubborn, smoldering blaze at the former Aysta Dairy building on Hill Road on Saturday, April 22. The fire, reported shortly before 10:30 a.m., was largely confined to a difficult to access attic space that defied repeated attempts to gain access through the roof. Several layers of roofing materials and dense foam insulation hampered access to the fire and produced considerable amounts of noxious smoke.
Eventually, a large excavator was deployed to remove a portion of the roof to finally extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Fire departments on the scene included Pike-Sandy-Britt, Vermilion Lake, Embarrass, Cook, and Mt. Iron. One firefighter was transported by a Virginia ambulance to a local hospital and was treated for exhaustion.

The Northland Fire Wire contributed to this report.