A grass fire on the city’s north side yesterday has forced the temporary closure of the Remington Nature Center. While no damage occurred to the nature center, the facility will remain closed for the next two days to prevent any residual smoke from entering the building through the HVAC system.

City staff wants to do everything possible to ensure the artifacts and exhibits inside the center are preserved and kept safe from smoke damage. Keeping the center closed and the air intake systems off will help ensure no residual smoke gets into the building.

St. Joseph Fire Department crews fought the grass fire for much of the afternoon and evening yesterday, and were instrumental in protecting the nature center from fire and damage. Off-duty crews also responded and assisted with fire suppression. Personnel from the public works department and police department assisted with operations at the scene.

Crews from the airport fire department responded with a tanker and pumper to assist with operations. Those crews stayed late into the night providing assistance and ensuring the fire did not spark back up again. The Andrew County Fire Protection District sent both crews and vehicles to assist with operations as well as provide coverage to the rest of the city as needed.