A fire consumed the Rodeo Corral building at the Freeborn County fairgrounds this morning, and investigators were on the scene by 7:30 a.

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

A fire consumed the Rodeo Corral building at the Freeborn County fairgrounds this morning, and investigators were on the scene by 7:30 a.m. searching for a cause.

The Albert Lea Fire Department got a report of smoke at the fairgrounds around 6 a.m. and responded to find the building engulfed in flames. As firefighters started spraying water onto the brick structure and approached the door, the southern wall of the building fell outward and flames shot through.

The fire was extinguished shortly after 7 a.m. The building appears to be a total loss, said Tamara Engel, whose husband, Jeff, is the fairgrounds caretaker.

Members of the fair board were on the scene this morning assessing damage.

The structure is used during the fair as a food stand for Zion Lutheran Church. The building contained tables, chairs and kitchen equipment, Engel said.

The building is rented out occasionally for special events year-round. Engel did not know when the building was last used.

Firefighters at the scene did not speculate on the cause of the fire, but an investigation was underway when today’s Tribune went to press.