SUPERIOR, Wis. — Wisconsin transportation officials say the historic Blatnik Bridge has been reopened following a closure triggered by an intense fire in Superior, Wisconsin Thursday morning.
Fire crews were dispatched to a warehouse fire in Superior’s North End district. Superior Mayor Jim Paine says the fire started in one structure of the historic complex, known as the Fish warehouse, and then jumped to a second known as the Bayside warehouse. Both buildings were destroyed.
"The buildings were both vacant but sometimes that can attract people escaping the cold so I was very worried about loss of life," wrote Paine in a social media post. "To that end, I’m relieved. But the loss of these buildings is a terrible tragedy. They were both priceless pieces of historic architecture and both had potential for new life. I’m deeply sorry for the loss to the owners and to our community."
Police started to close the Blatnik Bridge to and from Superior around 6:45 a.m. Thursday due to visibility issues caused by the smoke, KBJR Television reports. They asked drivers to re-route to the Bong Bridge to reach their destinations.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials posted on Twitter that the Blatnik Bridge reopened to traffic around 8 a.m.
The Duluth News Tribune reports that the four-story brick warehouse on fire, located at 1507 North First Street, is listed for sale on the Follmer Commercial Real Estate website for $795,000. The 48,000-square-foot warehouse was built in 1890 and according to Douglas County land records, is currently owned by Duluth/Superior Concrete Services LLC.
Multiple reports say the fire was so large that billowing clouds of smoke showed up on weather radar. Mayor Paine says the fire is winding down, and that the National Weather Service and Superior fire officials believe the smoke plume will remain fairly contained with minimal risk to the public.
"Some debris is going to fly around but it’s small and the bridge will remain open," Paine said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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