Fire Engulfs Flour Mill

LONGMONT — Longmont’s 93-year-old flour mill burned Saturday night, pouring smoke that was visible from at least a mile away.
Firefighters raced to the scene around 10:15 p.m. to find flames leaping several feet above the roof of the mill near the South Pratt Parkway overpass.
“This is unbelievable,” said Sgt. Steve Harper of the Longmont Police Department, one of the first officers on the scene. “I can’t even think right now — this is amazing.”
Battalion Chief Rick VanderVelde said firefighters immediately tried to keep the fire from spreading, but couldn’t do more than that.
“It was too dangerous to make an attack inside,” VanderVelde said. “As soon as we got here, we went defensive.”

By Scott Rochat and Joshua Buck Longmont Times-Call