Kansas Co-op Fire Causes Damage to Nearby Buildings

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.