PAST
PAST DECADE. >>> IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT
MANY MINNESOTANS MAY EVEN KNOW
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. BUT THIS FRIDAY IS THE 100th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEADLIEST
NATURAL DISASTER IN MINNESOTA
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. A SERIES OF WILDFIRES CONSUMED
EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATHS,
ENTIRE TOWNS, AND HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. TONIGHT, WE GO BACK TO THAT
DEVASTATING, DARK DAY.
>> Reporter: SOME DETAILS OF
OUR HISTORY ARE ALMOST TOO
PAINFUL TO UNLOCK, BUT WE ENTER
ANYWAY.
ANYWAY.
ANYWAY. SO LIKE THE STORIES OF LIVES
HERE ARE NOT FOREVER LOST.
>> THAT'S IT.
THAT IS THE MOUTH INTO THE
SODERBERG ROOT CELLAR.
>> Reporter: ON OCTOBER 12,
1918, MINNESOTA ENDURED ITS
DEADLIEST NATURAL DISASTER.
A SERIES OF WILDFIRES, FOREVER
ATTACHED TO NAMES, SUCH AS
KETTLE RIVER, CROQUET, AND
LOOSE LAKE.
LOOSE LAKE. THE DRIEST SUMMER IN NEARLY 50
YEARS, STRONG WINDS, AND DESERT
-LIKE HUMIDITY, ALL CONSPIRED
100 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK.
THE SODERBERG'S, SCANDINAVIAN
IMMIGRANTS, HUDDLED WITH THEIR
CHILDREN IN THE ROOT CELLAR AS
THE FIRE APPROACHED.
>> THREE GENERATIONS, PLUS A
SISTER-IN-LAW, THAT WAS
VISITING.
VISITING.
VISITING. >> Reporter: 14 SODERBERG'S
SEEMINGLY PROTECTED BY STONE
AND SOIL.
AND SOIL.
AND SOIL. LOIS JOHNSON THINKS ABOUT THEM
OFTEN FROM HER HOME,
OVERLOOKING THE OLD SODERBERG
FARM.
FARM.
FARM. >>
FARM. >> THEY SEE THIS BLACK SMOKE IN
THE AIR AND THINK, WELL, IT
WILL NOT COME HERE, AND ALL OF
A SUDDEN, IT DOES.
WHERE DO YOU GO?
WHAT DO YOU DO?
THEY HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
>> Reporter: NO ONE HAD.
CERTAINLY, NOT THOSE WHO TRIED
TO OUTRUN THE FIRE.
THE ROADS BECAME LITTERED WITH
THEIR FAILED ATTEMPT --
ATTEMPTS.
ATTEMPTS.
ATTEMPTS. IN CONTRAST, THE SODERBERG
CHOICE SEEMED SENSIBLE.
>> THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE
GOING TO SURVIVE IN A ROOT
CELLAR.
CELLAR.
CELLAR. AND OF COURSE, THEY MADE THE
WRONG CHOICE.
WRONG CHOICE. >> Reporter: MANY OTHERS MADE
THE SAME MISTAKE, CRAWLING INTO
ROOT SELLERS AND ABANDONED
WELLS, WHICH THE HUNGRY FIRE
QUICKLY ROBBED OF OXYGEN.
>> THE WHOLE CEILING AND WALLS
ARE PERFECTLY INTACT WITH THE
MEAT HOOKS HANGING THERE, WHAT
IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR THE
SEARCHERS TO COME AND FIND
THESE PEOPLE THERE, SITTING
THERE SLEEPING, AND THEY ARE
GONE.
GONE.
GONE. THEY ARENOT LIVING ANYMORE.
>> Reporter: THE FIRE DESTROYED
-- DESTROYED IT.
THOUGH HUNDREDS OF TOWNSPEOPLE
SURVIVED BY FLEEING INTO THE
LAKE, SOME WITHOUT EXITING
THEIR CARS.
THEIR CARS. >> THIS IS THE LOOSE LAKE FIRE
MONUMENT.
MONUMENT.
MONUMENT. >> Reporter: THE SODERBERG
ADULTS AND CHILDREN WERE RAID
-- WERE LAID TO REST HERE, AND
A MASS GRAVE DUG BY HAND DAYS
AFTER THE MAYOR OF LOOSE LAKE
HAD PUT A PLEA TO THE GOVERNOR
FOR 300 CASKETS.
>> THEY ALWAYS SAID THAT IF THE
FIRE DECIDED TO KILL YOU, IT
WOULD.
WOULD.
WOULD. OR
WOULD. OR IF IT WANTED TO LET YOU GO,
THAT'S WHAT IT DID.
YOU HAD NO CHOICE OVER IT.
@MORE THAN 450 MINNESOTANS DIED
--
--
-- >>
-- >> Reporter: MORE THAN 450
MINNESOTANS DIED IN HALF A DAY.
A CLUMP OF TREES SURROUNDING
THE RITZ SELLER -- ROOT CELLAR
IS ALL THAT REMAINS OF THE
SODERBERG PLACE, A SECRET SPOT
WHERE THE STORY IS REMEMBERED.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: AND FLOWERS GROW.
KARE 11 NEWS .
>>> ONE MEMBER OF THE SODERBERG
FAMILY DID SURVIVE, A BROTHER
SERVING HIS COUNTRY IN FRANCE.
HE SURVIVED WORLD WAR I WHILE
HIS FAMILY DIED AT HOME.
MOOSE LAKE HAS SEVERAL EVENTS
PLANNED TO COMMEMORATE THE
ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRE, YOU
CAN FIND THE LINK ON OUR
WEBSITE AT WWW.KARE11.COM AND
ALSO A PHONE GOT -- PHOTO
GALLERY AS WELL.