Extensive damage to Yacht Club trailer factory


A fire started just before noon on Monday, July 27, at Yacht Club Trailers in Humboldt Industrial Park. The company employs about 80 people in the manufacture of boat trailers. All employees were able to quickly evacuate. The fire is suspected of starting in a motor in the powder paint area on the east side of the building. Humboldt Independent photo by Jeff Gargano.

By KENT THOMPSON
The Humboldt Fire Department needed backup and wasn’t shy about asking for it at a fire that broke out around 11:45 a.m. Monday morning at Yacht Club Trailers located at 1419 11th St. N. in Humboldt.
“The (paint) system blew a motor and the main breaker and there was smoke exiting the roof of the building when we arrived,” Humboldt Fire Chief Jim Gronbach said.
“There was a lot of fire and heat build-up without a lot of door openings inside,” he said.
“We tried to keep shifting and finding openings to get access. It was more of an external attack than an internal because of the intensity of the blaze and the collapse of a portion of the roof. It was too hot and smoky for our firefighters to be inside. We played it safe and kept everyone outside. We were done fighting the fire around 5 p.m.," Gronbach reported. The Humboldt Fire Department returned a few times Tuesday to put out remaining hot spots.
He thanked the six area volunteer fire department who responded: Bode, Livermore, Renwick, Gilmore City, Badger and Fort Dodge. He also thanked Humboldt County Emergency Medical Services and Humboldt County Emergency Management for providing water and wet towels to the firefighters. He also thanked many businesses who donated food, water and drinks to the volunteer firefighters.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent surveying the damaging, cleaning up and forming strategies to get back to work as quickly as possible. "We are thankful all of our people are safe and will definitely continue in business," Yacht Club sales manager Jeff Harklau said of the 44-year-old family-run company.
Read the full report and see more photos in this week's Humboldt Independent, your trusted source for on-the-spot news and sports.

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