Apr 28, 2008 6:24 am US/Central
Fire Destroys Hangar, Planes At Crystal Airport
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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The fire broke out just before noon on Sunday at the end of one building with stalls for 13 planes on the Brooklyn Park side of the field.
CBS
One man suffered minor burns when a fire destroyed a hangar at the Crystal Airport on Sunday and produced thick, black smoke that could be seen for miles.
Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Steve Schmidt said investigators think two single-engine planes, two motorcycles and a truck also were destroyed. He says damages could exceed $1 million.
"We'll have to sift through the rubble entirely to see what we have," he said.
Schmidt said the fire apparently began after the truck backfired as a man was working on it in the hangar. He said the man suffered minor facial burns but refused medical care.
The fire broke out around 11:45 a.m. at one end of the hangar. About half of the building collapsed.
The airport straddles the Crystal-Brooklyn Park border.
The hangar, located on the Brooklyn Park side of the field, was made of sheet metal and wood and burned very quickly, the fire chief said.
"The fire was moving so fast that we didn't dare send anyone inside," he said.
Mike Wiley, whose family owns the hangar, said there are usually up to 12 planes inside, but he was not sure how many were inside when it caught on fire.
"All I know is that the building is probably a complete loss," Wiley said.
Ted Wyrowski of Crystal got a quick glimpse of his Piper Cherokee Arrow inside the part of the hangar that was still standing. He said it appeared the plane had extensive heat damage.
"It didn't catch on fire, but it's charred," said Wyrowski, who has owned the plane for 20 years.
Wyrowski said his son became interested in aviation because of the single-engine plane and is now a Northwest Airlines pilot.
"It's sad," he said, "but we'll try and restore it."
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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