By Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM

Flames engulf Cervus Equipment John Deere in Rosthern

Jul 22, 2018 | 2:25 PM

A fire has destroyed one of Rosthern’s largest employers Sunday morning.

Shortly before 10 a.m., residents nearby began noticing smoke, and then flames escaping from the Cervus Equipment John Deere building.

Sean Nichol works across the street at Wash World. He didn’t notice anything when he arrived for work at 9 a.m, but less than an hour later, said small plumes of smoke turned into large flames shooting into the sky.

“I was watching what was going on, and a little bit of smoke was coming out of it, so I assumed someone was going to run in with a fire extinguisher, but it’s just been getting worse and worse,” Nichol said around 90 minutes after the blaze began “It’s a two-story building, and the flames are easily twice the height of the building itself.”

In addition, Nichol said explosions were heard every few minutes.

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“I guess they got lots of high-pressure tires in there, and lots of old fuel,” he said. “It’s just been exploding, and exploding and exploding.”

Cervus staff began moving farm equipment and materials as soon as they heard the building was on fire in an attempt to salvage what they can and prevent further danger.

Multiple fire detachments were called in to fight the blaze, including Duck Lake and Hague fire departments. Retired water trucks were also called in to fight the flames.

Police have closed or limited Highway 11 and Highway 312 surrounding the blaze.

Nichol estimated between 30 and 40 people work at the dealership.

“It’s going to be quite the catastrophe for the small town here,” Nichol said.