Verso Paper reimburses city for firefighting costs

Verso Paper has paid the city of Sartell nearly $400,000 for putting out a Memorial Day paper mill fire.

The money will reimburse about 68 fire departments and other agencies that assisted the city to put out the fire caused by an explosion. The fire burned for roughly one week. One worker was killed and four others injured.

Most of the agencies that responded to the fire billed the city of Sartell for expenses.

Bill Cohen, a spokesperson for Verso, says the city collected the invoices and billed the company.

"Those other fire departments and other responding agencies that came in, we can't say enough, thank you for your great work," Cohen said. "And it was important to us that they get the appropriate reimbursement."

Mary Degiovanni, the city of Sartell's finance director, said it is a relief to know everyone will be paid in full.

"The bills they sent us were for their hard costs. They were sending trucks here, personnel, who they're paying for fire response," Degiovanni. So it will go to reimburse their actual costs."

Verso announced in August that the damage from the fire was too great and that it would permanently close the mill. Two-hundred fifty-nine workers lost their jobs.

The fire burned for about a week. One worker was killed and four others injured. In August, Verso announced the damage from the fire was too great and that it would permanently close the mill. Some 259 workers lost their jobs.