Blaze destroys firefighter’s shop

A Maple firefighter was called to fight a fire at his own auto shop Saturday night, hours after his father’s funeral.

The fire at 11980 E. U.S. Highway 2 was reported at about 10:30 p.m., according to a Douglas County Sheriff’s Department report. The owner of the property was on a medical call elsewhere in Maple when the department was dispatched to the fire at his business, DEI Enterprise, according to Maple Fire Chief Mike Lundeen. It was a big shock for the firefighter, Lundeen said.

“His dad passed away and we were at the funeral in the morning,” he said. “It was a tough day for him.”

Damage to the building – a house with attached garage – was estimated at about $125,000 and an estimated $75,000 in tools were destroyed. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Along with the Maple Volunteer Fire Department, members of the Brule and Poplar volunteer fire departments also responded to the blaze.

“A big thanks to Poplar and Brule for helping us out,” Lundeen said.

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