Smoke from a fire filled the ice arena next to Red Wing High School, authorities said.
An alarm sounded at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday at Prairie Island Arena, and emergency dispatch was alerted to a fire in the refrigeration room of the school district-owned facility, according to Assistant Fire Chief Mike Warner.
Firefighters arrived at the home rink for high school boys and girls teams, and had the fire under control within 15 minutes, Warner said. The building's sprinkler system helped contain the flames to the fire's originating location, he added.
Even so, "smoke was found throughout the building," Warner said.
There were no injuries reported, and what ignited the fire remains under investigation.
District Superintendent Karsten Anderson said that an electrical motor that is part of the refrigeration system caught fire. Anderson said he hopes repairs can be started as soon as possible.
Warner said that his department's quick response and the brief time the fire burned showed "the importance on maintaining a working sprinkler system and having a monitored fire alarm system."
Paul Walsh
