Crews Contain Blaze At Gertens Garden Center In Inver Grove Heights

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A popular south metro garden center says it’s fortunate after a fire broke out in a greenhouse.

Heavy smoke poured from Gertens Garden Center in Inver Grove Heights Sunday evening. Owner Gino Pitera told WCCO the fire started at about 6 p.m. in a part of a greenhouse that stores pine bark and peat moss, which are used to help grow plants. It was also near the area that holds their spring geranium crop, all of which appears to be unharmed.

Pitera says Inver Grove Heights firefighters received help from several neighboring municipal fire crews.

(credit: MnDOT)

“It looks like the damage is fairly contained at this point. It was contained to the area where the pine bark and peat moss is stored, and so it didn’t spread beyond that area,” Pitera said. “We’re just in there venting the greenhouses, trying to get the smoke out of the greenhouses. Fortunately these greenhouses … they’re built with roof vents in them, so it’s easy when you want to … open them up and let the smoke out, but you have to balance that with not letting too much cold air in and maintaining the temperature so you don’t damage the seedlings.”

Pitera says the garden center was not impacted by the fire, so they will be open for business Monday.

No one was hurt in the blaze. The Inver Grove Heights Fire Department says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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