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Thick smoke rose over Hoople on Wednesday afternoon after a fire tore through a Walsh County potato warehouse.
Fire crews were called just after noon after reports of heavy smoke from a potato storage building on the south edge of Hoople, according to the Walsh County Sherriff’s Office.
When responders arrived, flames were already spreading through the structure, which officials say was packed with freshly harvested potatoes. Departments from Park River, Edinburg, and Crystal joined Hoople firefighters at the scene.
Crews held back briefly, authorities said, until electric and propane service could be disconnected, then attacked the fire from multiple sides. By mid-afternoon, the warehouse was fully engulfed, and the roof later collapsed under the heat.
Firefighters cleared the scene around six-thirty Wednesday night after nearly six hours on site.
No injuries were reported. The Walsh County Sheriff’s Office and local fire officials are investigating the cause.
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