FARGO (KFGO) – It took more than three hours to knock down a fire that destroyed a large commercial building in the 1400 block of 1st Avenue North, just west of downtown Fargo. The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

(Photo: KFGO News)

Flames were coming from the roof and all windows of the steel-sided building when fire crews arrived around 3:30 this morning, April 6th.  Battalion chief Joe Mangin says the building is believed to have been vacant and had been broken into in the past and homeless people were known to have stayed there.

Heavy equipment was brought in to help fight the blaze.

The building was adjacent to a larger building that burned in December 2020 that had been owned by Gary Reinhart. That building was filled with antiques and surrounded by large animal statues.

Developer Jesse Craig purchased the property last year where the fires occurred with plans to build affordable housing on the site.