Fire destroys downtown Perham building, but businesses remain open
A devastating fire ravaged the Sota Lake Properties building on Friday, April 11, but the businesses within the structure remain operational. Despite the loss of the building, all businesses can still be accessed at their website, sotalakeproperties.com.
Owner’s Early Morning Wake-Up Call
Darin Trites, the owner of the building at 318 W Main St, received a text message from one of his employees that woke him up in the early hours of Friday morning. The message stated that the building was on fire, and Trites momentarily questioned if he was still dreaming. The employee, who tends to arrive at work around 4:30 a.m., had already noticed the fire when she arrived at the property. “It was already pretty bad by the time she got there,” Trites said. She is one of the approximately 10 employees he manages at the business.
Immediate Actions and Future Plans
Trites said that the large equipment used by the various businesses is stored off-site, so the immediate damage was limited to the interior of the building. He and his team responded by purchasing new cleaning supplies and other small-ticket items to continue offering services without interruption. In order to maintain the linen cleaning service, Trites is exploring different options, such as creating a contract with managed properties to clean the linens on-site, or discussing options with a local laundromat. He is also considering temporary fixes, such as setting up a mobile laundry service to clean linens for properties managed by Sota Lake Properties.
Businesses Affected by the Fire
- Carpet cleaning and landscape businesses were housed in the building.
- Booking of short-term rentals can still be done at their website, sotalakeproperties.com
- No other businesses were affected by the fire.
Response to the Fire
Trites expressed his gratitude to the firefighters and emergency personnel who responded to the fire and worked hard to prevent it from spreading to other businesses. He noted that he is sure they would not have wanted to wake up early for the emergency but did an amazing job in his opinion. Trites also mentioned that the business was previously a car repair shop before being renovated and opened as a one-stop shop for property maintenance and cleaning services. He stated that the downtown location “hurt” but emphasized that they are still up and running.
Future Plans for the Business
Trites is hopeful that everything will align for the business to return to the downtown location. He stated that he does not know yet if he will rebuild in the same location but is considering options for the future. He noted that there will be “a lot of moving parts” in the coming days, and if there is an opportunity for the business to return to the downtown location, they might consider it. However, he also mentioned that the loss of the building “hurt” and that he is still deciding on the best course of action. Trites said that if there is an opportunity for the business to return to the downtown location, they will “look into it.” But for now, he would like to rebuild in the same location.
| Business | Service | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Sota Lake Properties | Property management and cleaning services | sotalakeproperties.com |
| Carpet Cleaning | Cleaning services | |
| Landscape Business | Landscape services |
Affected Businesses
- Carpet Cleaning
- A business that offered cleaning services.
- Landscape Business
- A business that offered landscape services.
- Sota Lake Properties
- A property management company that offered cleaning services and other services.
The fire “hurt,” but we are still up and running. While it is too soon to know if we will rebuild in the downtown location, I hope everything aligns for the business to return to the bustling downtown. If there’s an opportunity, or if we see that we can get back up and running in a different area, we might do that. But for now, I’d like to rebuild. — Darin Trites, Owner of Sota Lake Properties
Despite the loss of the building, Sota Lake Properties remains operational, and its services can be accessed through its website.
Temporary fixes and alternative options are being explored to maintain the linen cleaning service, including creating a contract with managed properties or discussing options with a local laundromat. When asked about the future of the business, Trites said he is hopeful that everything will align for the business to return to the downtown location.
Gratitude to the Firefighters and Emergency Personnel
Trites expressed his gratitude to the firefighters and emergency personnel who responded to the fire and worked hard to prevent it from spreading to other businesses. He noted that they did an amazing job, despite waking up early for the emergency.
