Medina man involved in fire

A Medina, N.D., man was involved in a blaze that burned four businesses to the ground Monday in Willow Lake, S.D., according to South Dakota fire marshal Allen Christie.

Darrell Graf, operator of the North Dakota Fire Academy, which is in Medina, was brought into Willow Lake by the South Dakota Wheat Growers to complete a controlled burn on an old grain elevator.

A branch was ignited Sunday after catching a spark from the controlled burn. Christie said the branch reignited Monday and fell onto a power line, which created a short that set the buildings on fire.

Two buildings that housed four businesses were destroyed and another was damaged. An accounting business, a butcher shop, a hair salon, and a construction business were lost in the blaze.

No one was injured.

Tags: local news, news, medina, fire