Future of Bergquist Imports uncertain after fire Wednesday

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - Two businesses in Cloquet were closed Thursday after fire tore through the building that houses them Wednesday.

While no injuries were reported, the fate of a beloved local gift shop remains uncertain.

For Raeanna Wangen, Wednesday may be a day she never forgets.

“It all happened so fast, fire trucks were blazing down the street,” said Wangen, who works near the building that houses Bergquist Imports and Erberts and Gerberts Sandwich shop in Cloquet.

That building went up in flames Wednesday afternoon.

“You could see the smoke just rising,” Wangen said.

Word of that smoke reached fire officials quickly.

“There was a heavy amount of smoke coming from the back,” said Corey Larson, Assistant Chief with Cloquet Area Fire District.

According to Larson, crews battled the fire all night long from 4 p.m. Wednesday until about 10 a.m. Thursday.

Crews initially went inside the building to put the fire out but had to change tactics and fight from outside because fire damage and snow loads had weakened the roof.

Though there were no significant injuries, Larson said the winter weather didn’t help the situation.

“Because we’re battling the fire in winter conditions. We had some slips and trips and falls,” Larson said.

For Wangen and many Northlanders, Bergquist Imports was a staple of the community.

“They’ve been here ever since I can remember,” Wangen said.

Bergquist has been in the area since the 1950s, the shop specializes in selling Scandinavian merchandise.

Their bright-colored Dala horse displayed in front brings a Swedish symbol to the northeastern Minnesota landscape.

It also symbolizes a locally owned business in an ever-growing sea of big box stores and chains.

“To see a place that has survived all these years when you see all these big stores coming around, still surviving and still thriving, to see this possibly be the end, I’m not sure, is very very sad,” Wangen said.

Bergquist Imports’ current owner Scott Camps said he’s working with his insurance company to assess the damage to the building but is still unsure when and if they’ll be able to re-open.

He issued the following statement about the fire.

“We’re heartbroken by the devastating fire that broke out yesterday evening. We want to thank the Cloquet Area Fire Department and all the other emergency responders that worked throughout the night to put the fire out. We also want to thank the community for their support.”