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Fergus Falls City Hall Remains Closed After Friday Evacuation

By Derek Sidian Sep 22, 2025 | 6:08 AM

Photo of crews working to temporarily stabilize the Fergus Falls City Hall bell tower Friday. (FFFD)

Fergus Falls, MN – Fergus Falls City Hall remains closed today (September 22) after a shift in the bell in the bell tower caused an evacuation of the building Friday morning.

A crane contractor is scheduled to be onsite on Monday to remove the bell from the tower. For precautions, the grounds around City Hall have been cordoned off and the 100 block of West Washington Avenue will remain closed until repairs are complete on Monday. Fergus Falls Fire Chief Ryan Muchow is urging members of the public to stay clear of the closed area.

Muchow says that about 9:50 a.m. on Friday, September 19, city staff was assessing the condition of the bell tower when one side of the bell support shifted downward. This downward shift created a concern for its’ collapse. City Hall was immediately evacuated, and the area around it was cordoned off by Public Works, which included the closure of the 100 block of West Washington Avenue.

Staff from Public Works and the Fire Department assisted engineers in assessing the collapse potential and developed a plan to secure the bell until final removal could take place. It was decided to construct a wood support system under it. Fire Fighters worked from the platform of the ladder truck to construct the support system. The City Administrator and Finance Director remained on site to provide planning support.

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