Fire in Stearns County Destroys Garage

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fire on February 14 at 3:30 PM located in Lake Henry Township.

The fire took place in a shed on 220th Street owned by Karl Schlangen, 61. The fire was noticed by a relative who lives west of Schlangen’s home. After seeing a large amount of smoke coming from the residence, he went to investigate the situation. The relative found Schlangen’s detached garage fully engulfed by flames. He reached out to Schlangen, who was not home when the incident started.

A Paynesville Ambulance and the Lake Henry Fire Department also responded to the call. The Lake Henry Fire Department quickly put out the fire, but the detached double garage was a total loss.

The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the fire started from a wood stove inside the garage and spread to other items in the garage. Several items were destroyed, including a 1999 Ford F250.