4 p.m. update includes video
WILLMAR -- Quick action may have helped save the lives of half a dozen people when a fire broke out Friday morning in an apartment above the Bonde Building in downtown Willmar.
Rudy Vigil, manager of WRAC-8, was among the first to notice the smoke pouring from the building at around 10 a.m.
"I just ran," he said.
He was joined by Steve Peppin, owner of Pep's Sports Barber Shop. Along with Willmar Police Officer Frank Hanson, who also was one of the first on the scene, they managed to get most of the apartments evacuated before the fire trucks arrived.
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Firefighters from the Pennock and Kandiyohi departments also helped get two people out of the building.
Peppin later was taken by ambulance to Rice Memorial Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
In all, half a dozen people were evacuated and six families were displaced by the fire, said Marv Calvin, Willmar fire chief.
"Thankfully we got some citizens that were able to make some rescues," he said.
Calvin said the fire apparently broke out in one of the apartments.
"The fire was isolated to one apartment. It did extend up into the ceiling," he said.
A state fire marshal was en route to Willmar to investigate the fire. The Willmar fire and police departments will assist with the investigation.
A four-block area of the downtown district, from Becker Avenue to Benson Avenue and from Third to Fifth Streets, was blocked off while firefighters brought the smoky blaze under control. The Bonde Building is at the corner of Litchfield Avenue and Fourth Street.
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The Willmar Fire Department was assisted by firefighters from the Spicer, Kandiyohi, Pennock and Benson fire departments.
Representatives from the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and the United Way of Kandiyohi responded quickly to the scene. The Salvation Army was feeding the firefighters from its canteen truck and was also providing for the immediate needs of the displaced residents.
