Fire reported near ICON Sports Center (Update)

Update 4:25 PM Thursday:

From GF Park District: “Thanks to our amazing Grand Forks First Responders, Xcel Energy, Bergstrom Electric, Red River Refrigeration, and our Park District arena staff, we are back up and running at the ICON Sports Center.  The building will remain closed for today, but the facility will be back to business as usual tomorrow.   Thank you all for your patience and understanding.”

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Wed evening Update:

Repairs are already underway at the site of a transformer crash and fire that knocked out power to the ICON Sports Arena on Wednesday.

Grand Forks Police say an SUV driven by 89-year old Norma Haley of Grand Forks hit the transformer behind the building at 3:40 p.m. The impact caused the transformer to burst into flames. Haley and a juvenile passenger were checked out by Altru paramedics – but escaped injury.

Xcel Energy crews were able to disconnect power to the transformer and the Grand Forks Fire Department extinguished the fire.

There was no damage to the building itself.

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Original story:

Grand Forks fire crews battled a fire outside ICON Sports Center this (Wed) afternoon in south Grand Forks.

According to officials with the Grand Forks Fire Department and the Grand Forks Park District, at about 3:45 PM, a car apparently hit a transformer located about 20 feet from the arena.

Fire officials say the transformer caught fire as a result, and gas service was shut off in the building.

The occupants of the vehicle were checked out by Altru paramedics on scene but were not transported.

No other injuries have been reported.

Crews at Fire Station 5, located not far from the arena, responded after seeing the accident happen. A command vehicle and at least two fire engines are said to have responded to the scene.

The fire did not reach the ICON Sports Center, but the building was evacuated as a precaution. The building lost power and was closed for the remainder of the day.

Crews quickly had the fire under control.