Blaze at co-op does $500,000 in damage

An early-morning fire at a farmers’ cooperative union prompted a brief village evacuation over concerns that the fire could reach chemicals in the burning plant, Sheboygan County authorities said Wednesday. The fire was reported at Adell Cooperative Union in Adell about 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, and several explosions were reported after the initial call, sheriff’s Capt. Dave Adams said. Air-quality readings during and after the blaze suggested that no chemical vapors were released by the fire, authorities said. The plant was unstaffed at the time of the fire. The only reported injury was a firefighter who hurt an ankle, Adams said.