Lawsuit Filed In Engelstad Fire

The owners of the 12,000-capacity Ralph Engelstad Arena on the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks filed a $5 million lawsuit related to a fire in the venue last July.

The lawsuit filed by Arena Holdings Charitable and RE Arena Inc., claims negligence against audio and video equipment manufacturer Harman Professional Inc., and its parent company, Harman International Industries.

Venue officials allege the fire was caused by an “improperly energized” speaker. Harmon officials deny the claim, saying the problem originated in-house.

The small blaze began in a cluster of speakers above the center of the arena, causing extensive smoke damage to the facility. No one was hurt and no events were affected.

At the time, damage to the venue was said to be worth about $1.5 million.