Fire at Neerlandia Co-op shop ‘heartbreaking’ for community
Weekend blaze deprives hamlet of key services
A fire that destroyed the Neerlandia Co-op Saturday will leave a loss for the hamlet’s 126 residents that will be felt for a long time, Barrhead’s fire chief says.
Fire crews from nearby Barrhead responded around 3:30 Saturday afternoon to the co-op in Neerlandia, about 145 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, and found the building enveloped in flames.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said John Whittaker, Barrhead’s fire chief.
“The co-op is a fairly large part of the Neerlandia community. They did everything from toilets to tools to guns to fertilizer to fuel. They had a mechanic store, grocery store, hardware store ... this loss will be felt for a long time.”
Whittaker said the fire started in a storage facility and quickly spread, causing millions of dollars in damage. A video of the fire posted on Facebook shows thick, black smoke filling the sky.
“Once it started, it go so hot,” said Bart Bikker, a dairy farmer who lives in the area. “The flames were shooting far up in the air.”
A call for mutual aid was sent to surrounding fire departments. Whittaker said in total, 25 firefighters and 11 fire trucks battled the blaze.
“We had the community surround us while we were trying to fight this fire, assisting with what they could, like refreshments,” Whittaker said.
Bikker said the loss of the co-op will affect many community members and farmers who shopped there.
“We were standing outside watching the fire, wondering ‘Where will we go Monday morning to pick up our supplies?’” he said.
A lot of people depend on the large store, said Bikker, noting the business has grown during his 20 years in Neerlandia and is now a one-stop shop. “The store grew so big, there wasn’t really an alternative nearby,” he said. “There’s going to be a big impact, for sure, but I’m sure they’ll figure out something pretty quickly.”
Steve Bizuns lives in Barrhead, about 20 kilometres south of Neerlandia. He was driving by Saturday when he saw the fire. “It’s one of the nicest businesses in Neerlandia, and you always hear positive things about it,” he said. “Now it’s all gone.”
The fire was under control by 10 p.m. Saturday and declared out the next day. A cause and damage estimate are not yet available.