Devasting Fire Breaks Out on Main Avenue in Downtown Brookings

The city of Brookings, South Dakota is down one downtown business today.

A large fire broke out in the rear of Brost’s Fashions on Main Avenue in downtown Brookings on Monday, (December 30).

Dakota News Now reports the fire started around 5:00 AM, and that flames could be seen from several miles away by 5:30 AM.

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The business lost in the fire had a storied history and was constructed in 1879 before South Dakota became a state.

Also destroyed in the blaze were a series of apartments that were located above Brost's Fashions.

The fire damage could have been far worse if not for the quick response time of the Brookings, Volga, Madison, and Ramona fire departments. All of those area fire crews worked in unison to battle the blaze throughout the day.

Shortly after word of the fire started to spread, social media also became ablaze with several different postings of the fire.

The fire damage could have been much worse and far more dangerous given the businesses that surround Brost's Fashions. One of those businesses is The Exchange, a popular gun store in the region, located just two businesses down from Brost's.

According to the Exchange's Facebook page, they said the business was not lost, but did sustain fire, smoke, and water damage. The post told customers to expect a rather long cleanup process.

Brookings residents and other downtown businesses can thank the fast response time of fire crews as they worked tirelessly to battle the blaze and contain the damage as quickly as possible.

According to Dakota News Now, there were no reports of injuries. Residents of the downtown structure all made it out of the building safely.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Source: Dakota News Now