UPDATE: Shelter in place has been lifted in Wadena for massive fire

UPDATE:

The shelter in place order has been lifted. The Wadena Fire Department says fire personnel stayed on scene until around 8 p.m. and report that the building is a total loss.

ORIGINAL STORY:

WADENA, Minn. (FOX 9) –A massive fire burning in Wadena has city officials ordering residents to stay inside their homes. The shelter in place order has since been lifted.

The fire is at Minnesota Valley Irrigation started around 3 p.m. on Ash Avenue Northeast. Photos posted online by nearby residents and a local paper shows a large plume of smoke rising from the barn building.

A shelter in place order was put in place for the entire city as the fire burned.

Along with concerns from the fire, fast-approaching storms are also complicating matters for emergency crews. Firefighters say there are hazardous materials in the building, but the mayor says nothing burning is considered toxic.

In a Facebook message, police write: “The cloud of smoke is not dangerous to breath in, however we are asking residents to shelter in place. We recommend that you close your windows and shut off your air conditioning. We ask everybody to avoid the area as it is causing congestion with emergency equipment.”

Crews are still working to extinguish flames.