Ken Johnston
The CN Hotel in Rainy River, built in 1903, burned down yesterday morning. The fire call came in at 7:39 a.m. as a passer-by noticed smoke coming out of the upper floor. By 11 a.m., most of the structure was gone. No one was in the building at the time. One tenant’s stuff mostly was rescued while another lost all his clothing but some of his prized possessions were saved. Fire departments from Rainy River, Dawson (1 and 2), Baudette, Mn., and Williams, Mn. were on site to contain the blaze. Thankfully, the wind was from the south, which kept the fire from spreading to adjacent homes.
