Alta fire damages Merrill Manufacturing warehouse, no injuries reported
An oven kept running after staff thought it was off, sparking a fire that hit Merrill Manufacturing's Alta warehouse and triggered a three-department response.
A fast-moving fire at Merrill Manufacturing’s Alta site disrupted warehouse operations at 309 NE First Street and brought firefighters from Alta, Storm Lake and Rembrandt to the scene, though no one was hurt.
The fire started around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday in the building’s assembly area, even though the structure is used primarily as a warehouse. Merrill Manufacturing President Steve Anderson said an oven used to dry parts kept operating after employees believed it had been shut off, a mismatch that likely allowed the fire to take hold.
Workers first tried to knock the blaze down themselves, then evacuated when that effort failed. Anderson said that decision was the right call, and the quick evacuation helped keep the incident from becoming a tragedy. For a local industrial employer with decades of roots in Buena Vista County, the immediate concern shifted from production to protecting employees and limiting damage.
Firefighters responded with a coordinated mutual-aid effort. Crews cut a hole in the roof to contain the flames, and the Storm Lake Fire Department used its ladder truck during the suppression effort. The response kept the fire from spreading farther through the building, preventing what could have been a much larger loss at a business that has long been part of the Storm Lake-area economy.
Merrill Manufacturing was founded in 1949 by Noel Merrill Anderson in Des Moines and moved to Storm Lake in 1957. The company has operated in the area for decades and was named the Lakes Corridor’s 2024 Large Business of the Year, a sign of its role as a significant local employer and manufacturer.
The Alta fire also fits a pattern in Buena Vista County, where industrial fires have drawn multiple departments and neighboring jurisdictions into action. A 2023 fire at Rembrandt Enterprises north of Storm Lake drew 14 fire departments from four counties, along with other agencies. That kind of response underscores how quickly a single equipment problem can become a regional emergency.
Anderson said the building will be repaired, signaling that Merrill Manufacturing intends to recover and restore normal operations after the damage is assessed. The company has already faced recent setbacks, including straight-line wind damage to Merrill Manufacturing North on April 18, 2025, followed by plans to rebuild.
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