White Earth cannabis dispensary fire prompts evacuations, road closures

MAHNOMEN — A fire at the White Earth Band of Ojibwe's cannabis dispensary in Mahnomen prompted road closures and evacuations Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office reported in a news release that it received a report of the fire at 10:51 a.m. at Waabigwan Mashkiki on Jefferson Avenue.

The Mahnomen, Waubun and Twin Lakes fire departments responded along with law enforcement. The fire was contained to the lab and continued to burn due to the presence of butane gas.

Two staff members were in the lab when the fire ignited. One of them received minor burns and was medically evaluated and released.

A 300-yard perimeter was established, and evacuations of buildings and businesses within 300 yards were conducted, along with several road closures.

The area Minnesota state fire marshal and the Hazard Response Team out of Moorhead also responded.

There was a concern about introducing oxygen to the scene and causing an explosion, according to the release, so firefighters were directed to monitor from a distance and allow the fire to burn off the butane.

A drone was flown into the building to detect the presence of active flame, and helped to determine the fire had burned itself out.

Firefighters entered the structure to test for the presence of gas, and the Hazard Response Team conducted an evaluation of the scene. Once it was determined that there was no threat to public safety, evacuation protocols were lifted.

The incident remains under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s office.

Responding agencies also included the White Earth Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, Mahnomen Health Center Ambulance and Mahnomen County/White Earth Emergency Management.