VFW, Behavioral Health Clinic Destroyed by Fire in Grand Rapids

Crews were not able to get into Lakeview Behavioral Health that caught fire upon arriving at the scene, but they were able to enter the VFW and save important items.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — A Saturday night fire has destroyed two buildings and damaged a third in downtown Grand Rapids on NW 3rd street.

The Grand Rapids VFW and the Lakeview Behavioral Health were left in ruins from the blaze.

No one was hurt in the fire except for one firefighter who was treated and released.

The fire department arrived to find an adjacent building’s basement completely engulfed in flames.

“Everybody’s pretty sad we are trying to laugh our way through it but you know deep down there’s a lot of soul in that building there’s a lot of warriors,” said Hugh Quinn, the VFW Post Commander in Grand Rapids.

Downtown Grand Rapids smelled of smoke for most of the afternoon.

Crews were not able to get into the first building that caught fire upon arriving at the scene, but they were able to enter the VFW and save important items.

“Our crews did go in before the fire took over that building and we got all the valuable pieces of war memorabilia flags anything that we could find that was important to the VFW and we did get those out and haul them over the fire hall,” said Chief Travis Cole of the Grand Rapids Fire Department.

Officials say the fire started in the basement of the center building on the block which houses Lakeview Behavioral Health.

One patient was on the scene Sunday afternoon who was scheduled for an appointment on Monday.

“Both these places have made an impact on this community. My stomach dropped actually I mean just knowing I have an appointment tomorrow and that’s like that it makes me sick,” said Jessica McCartney, a patient at the Lakeview Behavioral Center.

Lakeview posted on their Facebook that they will be seeing patients at their other Grand Rapids office at 516 South Pokegama Avenue.

Meanwhile, the VFW called their members to take action, saying that the nearly 300 members need to step up if they want to open up back in a new location.

“There’s a lot that goes into putting a new place up or buy a new place we are going to need all the folks that we can get in here to drive that train it’s not something that six or seven of us is going to do,” said Quinn.

Quinn also referred to the VFW as a home for returning vets, a spot that they can continue the bond that combat veterans have.

He said the building held so many memories.

We’ve buried a lot of guys in the last ten years out of here a lot of the WWII guys and now the Vietnam guys so their memories are still with us so we know there’s still a piece of them there,” said Quinn.

The state fire marshals office is still investigating the cause of the fire.

Wells Fargo next door has smoke and water damage, but the fire department says it is structurally sound.

The fire department says the other businesses on the block will be able to open for business on Monday.