(Spirit Lake)– What has become an eyesore over the years in Spirit Lake will soon be going up in flames.
The Spirit Lake city council Tuesday was brought up to date on plans by the Fire Department to burn the former elevator at 15th Street and Memphis Avenue this coming Sunday…weather permitting.
Fire Chief David Kollasch told the council the controlled burn will serve as a training exercise for 11 area fire departments with about 80 firefighters participating. He says it will also utilize the Lakes Area Fire Boat, which will be pumping water out of East Lake Okoboji near Isthmus Park. That water will then be hauled to the scene by pumper trucks.
Kollasch added several streets in the vicinity of the elevator will be closed during the exercise, including the intersections of 15th Street and Peoria Avenue; 15th Street and Jackson Avenue; and Lake Street and Memphis Avenue.
How to pay for additional police officers that will be needed during the practice burn became an issue. Police Chief Jeff Hanson told the council overtime for the additional officers could cost his department as much as 500-dollars. To help defray that, the council requested the Fire Department, which is getting a 25-thousand dollar donation for razing the elevator, to pay 200-dollars of that cost. Kollasch said the donation will be used to purchase needed equipment, including extrication equipment and wash equipment for turnout gear.
Kollasch says the practice burn will take about two and-a-half hours to complete.
