Fire in storage building destroys business equipment

(ABC 6 News) – Tuesday evening, crews in Mower County responded to a fire at a storage building near Dexter that left a business with thousands of dollars worth of equipment destroyed.

“When she walked by it she thought it was just snow rolling off the roof cause it was so windy. And then we realized it was smoke coming from under the roof.”

According to the State Fire Marshall, an outlet upstairs had shorted causing the fire.

Around 4:30 Tuesday evening, Gina Grundmeier and her daughter noticed a fire had broken out in the storage shed just across from their house.

25 firefighters responded, containing the fire within one hour., however, the shed is a total loss.

“The center beam has collapsed the floor from upstairs is now down at least half of it and the structures on the outside are all charred on the interior”

Around $160,000 worth of plumbing equipment inside was destroyed and it will take a lot more money to rebuild the grainery.

Unfortunately, the traumatic experience is not anything new to the Grundmeiers after they lost their home to a fire back in 2011.

“The hardest part was when I walked outside and was calling them and I stood there and I got them same smells again. It took me a long time to have the smells stop waking me up in the middle of the night.”

While the Grundmeiers are well-known in Mower County for their plumbing business.

They are also recognized for the years of pro-bono work they do with the organization “Pay it forward”

This year, a struggling family’s home was remodeled giving them a new beginning.

Friends say after years of helping other people, its time others help this family.

“We’re not sure what he has in store for us, but we’ll be okay. Yup we’ll get through it, ” Grundmeier said.

For more information on how to donate, click here.