De La Hunt Media - KK Radio Network

AN EARLY MORNING FIRE DESTROYED A LOCAL PARK RAPIDS BUSINESS ON FRIDAY OCT 25^TH. PARK RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE OF A FIRE AT ABOUT 4AM ON FRIDAY.  RUSTY AND CHERYLE MCFARLAND, THE OWNERS OR MOOSE R US.COM DISCOVERED THE FIRE AND CALLED IT IN.  THE MCFARLANDS PURCHASED WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE BUDS BUILDING CENTER  ON HWY 71 NORTH OF PARK RAPIDS AND HAD ESTABLISHED A VERY SUCCESSFUL ON-LINE LODGE AND LOG CABIN DÉCOR BUSINESS.  THE MCFARLANDS HAD BEEN RUNNING THIS BUSINESS FOR 17 YEARS AND THE LAST 5 YEARS HAD MOVED TO PARK RAPIDS AND SET UP SHOP AT THE OLD BUDS BUILDING LOCATION.  RUSTY COMMENTED THAT HIS WIFE WHO GETS UP EARLY WAS UP DOING SOME INVENTORY WORK WHEN SHE HEARD A BIG SWOOSH AND SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.  THE MCFARLANDS HAD SET UP RESIDENCY IN THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE BUILDING WITH THE DISPLAY ROOM OUT FRONT AND INVENTORY/STORAGE IN THE BACK .  SHE WOKE HER HUSBAND WHO THEN CALLED 911.  HE SAID HE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO GET DRESSED, GRAB THE CATS AND STARTED GRABBING ALL OF THEIR COMPUTERS BEFORE HE HAD TO ABANDON THE BUILDING.  THE FIRE MOVED QUICKLY THROUGH THE LARGE POLE BARN STYLE BUILDING THAT APPARENTLY HAD NO FIRE WALLS BETWEEN THE BACK STORAGE, RESIDENCE AREA AND SHOWROOM.  RUSTY SAID A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL WAS ON THE SCENE FIRST AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSE BEHIND, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE FIRE.  RUSTY AND HIS WIFE HAD JUST SPRAYED FOAM INSULATION IN THE BACK STORAGE AREA AND WHEN THE FIRE CAUGHT HOLD OF THAT IT JUST TOOK OFF.  THEY HAD ALSO JUST PUT UP 15 SOME SHELVES TO DISPLAY THEIR PRODUCTS AS THEY WERE UPDATING THEIR WEBSITE.  THEY LOST EVERYTHING!  AS RUSTY SAT IN HIS PICKUP TRUCK TALKING WITH BERNIE SCHUMACHER FROM THE RADIO STATION, HE SAID WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS ALL WE HAVE.  THEY LOST 5 VEHICLES IN THE FIRE AS THEY WERE ALL PARKED INSIDE ALONG WITH FOUR WHEELERS, A RANGER, SNOWMOBILES AND OTHER ITEMS.  THEY ONLY REASON THEY HAVE THE TRUCK WAS BECAUSE IT WAS PARKED IN ANOTHER BUILDING IN COLD STORAGE FOR THE SUMMER AS IT IS THEIR HEAVY DUTY WINTER VEHICLE.  HE FIGURES THEY LOST EASILY A QUARTER OF A MILLION IN INVENTORY.  HE AND HIS WIFE CHERYLE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE MOVING FORWARD BUT IN THE MEANTIME WILL CLEAN THINGS UP AND SET UP HOUSE IN ANOTHER POLE BUILDING ON THE PREMISES.  WHEN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THE PUBLIC COULD DO, HE SAID NO…THERE REALLY IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO.  TRAGEDY IS NOTHING NEW TO RUSTY AND CHERYLE AS THEY SURVIVED 2-100 YEAR FLOODS IN THE PAST.  HE SAID WE WILL JUST PICK UP AND MOVE FORWARD, THEY ARE JUST ARE NOT SURE YET WHICH WAY THEY ARE GOING.    THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AS ALL FIRES ARE, AND THE STATE FIRE MARSHALL IS EXPECTED TO BE ON THE SCENE SOMETIME TODAY.   PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ARE POINTING POSSIBLY TO A FORKLIFT THAT RUSTY HAS PLUGGED IN BEFORE HE WENT TO BE THURSDAY NIGHT.  THE BUILDING IS A TOTAL LOSS, NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE INCIDENT.  Several other photo's on events tab.