No Injuries Reported in Commercial Structure Fire in Downtown Bemidji

Courtesy: Bemidji Fire Department

Firefighters responded to a commercial structure fire on Sunday evening in Bemidji. No injuries were reported, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

According to a report from the Bemidji Fire Department, on Sunday, July 26th at approximately 10:33 p.m. firefighters responded to a building fire on the 400 block of Beltrami Ave. NW at the New China restaurant. Upon entry to the building, a fire was located in the ceiling space.

Bemidji firefighters encountered high heat but were able to quickly contain and extinguish the fire. 12 firefighters used two fire engines, a rescue truck, and a ladder truck on the scene. The fire department was on scene for approximately 3 hours, and no injuries were reported. The fire caused moderate damage to the business of origin and smoke damage to two adjacent businesses.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Bemidji Fire Department, but it does not appear to be suspicious in nature. The fire department was assisted at the scene by the Bemidji Police Department, Ottertail Power Company, and Bemidji Ambulance Service.