An early morning fire that destroyed a northeast Kansas grain cooperative also damaged several downtown buildings and warped Union Pacific railroad tracks nearby.
KMAN reports the fire at the co-op in St. Marys started around 2 a.m. Friday. Pottawatomie County fire supervisor Bruce Brazzle says the blaze appears suspicious because the co-op was in the process of being demolished and there was no power to the building.
Brazzle says several businesses along Main Street sustained melted windows and roof damage that could cost millions of dollars to fix, but no estimates were immediately available.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Recovery Starts Before the Loss: What Claims Professionals Know About Severe Weather Preparedness 
Tesla Drops ‘Self-Driving’ Branding to Appease Europe Regulators 
Hurricane Isaias Reaches Category 3 as It Nears Florida, Alabama 
Will California’s New Smoke Claims Law Create a Recovery Bottleneck? 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.