227.1306.4-5

This photograph, taken by "Ames Tribune" photographer Michael L. Palmer, shows the scene of a fire that occurred in the early morning of August 2, 2001 in the 400 block of Duff Avenue. The ladder truck, in the right of the photograph and parked on Fifth Street, is dousing the smoldering embers. The photograph was taken from a tall building which is part of the Ames power plant. Had firefighters been unable to control the blaze, Ames could have faced severe power outages. The building that burned had housed Wildwood Interiors and Ames Furniture, owned by Neal Hines and Mary Sherwood, for two and half years. Two vacant lumber buildings, owned by Munn Lumber, also were destroyed by the flames. This was the original site for Munn Lumber Company which was one of the oldest buildings in downtown Ames. It was built around 1892, five years before the power plant was built. On April 27, 1998, because of competition from a huge new Lowe's home improvement store in southwest Ames, owner Erik Munn closed the Munn Building Center (as it was then named) at 408 Duff, moved only its lumber operation to Airport Road (which was the original business), and leased the old store to Hines and Sherwood. (See also: 227.1307.1)