Blaze destroys Neepawa hardware store

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This article was published 25/02/2015 (4101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Neepawa’s Home Hardware store was destroyed by fire Wednesday night.

Smoke and flames poured from the building along the town’s main street around 6:30 p.m., a witness said, and mini explosions — likely due to chemicals stored within the building — could be seen shooting across the sky from blocks away.

Neepawa resident Corrie Ford, who lives three blocks away from the store at 366 Mountain Ave., watched from her window as volunteer firefighter crews from Neepawa and Minnedosa battled the blaze and tried to minimize damage to neighbouring buildings.

“The flames are ridiculously high right now,” said Ford, who saw the Home Hardware building collapse around 8:40 p.m.

Ford said it was the biggest fire she’s seen in Neepawa since the burning of the Hamilton Hotel in February 2004.

There were no reported injuries. The store was closed for the day at 6 p.m.

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire.

Neepawa is about 190 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, along the Yellowhead Highway.