Car fire destroys Olson’s buildings in Grand Island

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - Grand Island Police has arrested one person following a devastating fire overnight that destroyed two buildings on the Olson building complex.

The Grand Island Fire Department was called to a car fire at 716 St. Paul Road at 12:20 a.m.

While en route firefighters were informed that the car was inside a building, which is an annex building for Olson’s Furniture.

According to the fire department, the entire building was in flames. This is part of the Olson Complex.

Firefighters used defensive tactics to put the fire out from multiple angles. At around 12:50 p.m., the flames expanded to the building north of it, turning it into a 4-Alarm fire.

Battalion Chief Scott Keuhl said one of its ladder trucks was used to save the Olson Furniture store to the south at 714 St. Paul Road.

“If we weren’t there it would have burnt down too,” Keuhl said.

According to the fire department, firefighters got the fire under control at 5:30 a.m. Crews remained on-scene until 9 a.m.

Kuehl said the initial building where the call originated and the one to the north, a warehouse, were both destroyed in the fire.

Grand Island Police arrested Heriberto Gonzalez Castillo, 24, for DUI and no operator’s license.

The Grand Island Fire Department said the fire caused $1.5 million in damage. No injuries or deaths were reported due to the incident.

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