HUTCHINSON, Kansas – Fire tore through downtown Hutchinson, gutting the studios of four local radio stations.
The stations are off the air and their owner says he has no idea when they’ll be able to start broadcasting again. The stations, including KSKU, were all running automated programming around 2 a.m. Friday when the fire broke out.
Firefighters quickly realized they couldn’t save the building in the 100 block of N. Main, so they turned their attention to keeping it from spreading.
The history Wiley building next door suffered minor damage, but the building housing the radio stations is a total loss.
“Life is a series of adventures and this is going to be a big one to say the least,” said Cliff Shank, radio station owner. “I'm sure one of these moments I'm going to start crying over the whole thing here, but it hasn't hit me yet.”
The owner says he’s thankful he has good insurance and does plan to rebuild. He can’t say exactly how long it will take to replace all the equipment destroyed in the fire.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
