Porta-potty torching prank engulfs Elk River business in flames

Credit: Vagabond Shutterbug

Ugly as it is, try avoid the temptation to burn it down

It's an old gag: Burn down the porta-potty. But whomever torched the 30 toilets lined up in a storage yard near 4th Street in Elk River the other night unleashed flames that ended up nearly destroying the adjacent Adams Interiors building. Ha ha.

By the time the flames were put out, six different fire crews from the area were forced to respond, taking turns fighting the fire because the pranksters had the bad sense to act on a seething hot evening.

"Fires like these put our firefighters in significant danger and in harm's way," Fire Chief John Cunningham told WCCO. "Can't thank our mutual aid partners enough. This is why we all work together, to make sure that we have a very safe outcome on an operation like this."

Cunningham told the Strib the vandals, if and when they're smoked out, will be "prosecuted fully."