The State Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate what caused a fire at the True Value store in Kiel. Ten different fire departments were called to the scene on the 400 Block of Fremont Street just before 5:00 AM.
One person who lived in an upstairs apartment was rescued by Kiel Police. Firefighters report the west side of the building collapsed, however, everything on the east side of the building was saved.
One hundred and twenty-eight firefighters from 10 different departments responded to the scene, according to the public information officer for the Kiel Fire Department Lieutenant Kevin Voland.
Lulloff True Value Hardware is a family business owned by multiple generations since 1920, and the building itself is much older.
Local residents of Kiel say the store is a landmark, and many people shop there even multiple times a week. They say it was a focal point of the downtown area, and now they want to be able to help out the family and the man who lived in the upstairs apartment.
The building sustained significant damage in the fire. Crews remained on the scene into Monday to put out a few hot spots and to help begin the investigation into what happened.
The cause is still under investigation, and there is still no estimate into how much monetary damage was done.
