A clear sky. Low 56F. Winds light and variable..

A clear sky. Low 56F. Winds light and variable.

A 30-year-old Hastings man was arrested Thursday in connection with a July 13 fire at LandMark Implement west of Hastings, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal Agency reported.

Mitchell Linder, 30, was taken into custody without incident and has been lodged in the Adams County Jail on a charge of second-degree arson, the agency said in a news release late Friday afternoon.

According to the news release, investigators had determined the fire was arson and developed information that Linder, an employee of the John Deere dealership, was responsible.

A report of smoke at LandMark Implement, 4815 W. U.S. Highway 6, was reported to authorities around 9:47 p.m. on July 13. The Hastings Rural Fire Department organized the response with mutual assistance from all fire departments in Adams County as well as Doniphan and Glenvil.

About 75 firefighters and rescue personnel assisted directly on the scene, with mutual aid requested immediately due to the size of the building and its contents. The operation was complicated by the need to haul water to the site; the tremendous amount of heat the fire generated, which was trapped inside the metal structure; difficulty penetrating the metal roof and sides for firefighting access; and a number of minor explosions that occurred as items inside the shop like petroleum and spray cans caught fire.

With the massive amount of heat, crews were rotated in and out to prevent injury to firefighters.

The blaze finally was brought under control about 3 a.m. July 14. The blaze primarily was contained to the shop area on the west end, but the main office and showroom also received smoke damage.

According to Friday’s news release, damages from the fire are estimated at around $6 million.

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