VIDEO: No one was injured fighting an inferno Tuesday that collapsed the roof of the Moose Event Center on Howard Street in Hibbing, according to fire officials. But what does hurt to the small town, is the loss of a building that houses many businesses and memories.
“As I stood outside and watched it just kept, no matter how much water it got worse, and worse, and worse,” said Marybeth Perreira, who watched from the Androy Hotel across the street.
Around 10:30 Tuesday morning smoke swallowed the Moose Lodge 1510 and Event Center. “Approximately 30 minutes after arrival we had a full roof collapse on the structure,” Hibbing Fire Chief Erik Jankila said.
“We made a tactical decision to go defensive early on in the fire. It wasn’t worth risking somebody’s life to put them into a building that’s partially collapsed,” he said. The cause of the fire is unknown and still under investigation.