Since an early morning fire on Oct. 2 destroyed two restaurants just north of the Fairfax Post Office, causing it to be temporarily closed, the Gibbon Post Office has been assisting Fairfax residents with their mail. The situation will continue into the future, possibly until next spring.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) reported no mail was damaged in the fire, but Fairfax postal customers have to pick up mail, packages and Post Office Box mail at the Gibbon Post Office. No timetable for the resumption of retail service in the Fairfax Post Office is yet established, according to an Oct. 3 USPS news release.

Gibbon Postmaster Matt Martinez estimated the Gibbon Post Office is handling about 20,000 extra pieces of mail a week since it began assisting Fairfax customers. Fairfax Post Office employees help sort mail in Gibbon.

Martinez said its important for customers to use their mail box number when they can.

An early morning fire on Oct. 2 destroyed two downtown Fairfax restaurants and closed the Fairfax Post Office, pictured below, due to damage caused by the fire. Nine fire departments responded to the fire. No timetable to resume postal services in Fairfax has been determined, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

The future of the post office in Fairfax depends on the completion of the fire marshal’s investigation.

“The (former) Jimmy’s Pizza building has to be released from the fire investigation to start demolition. No construction will start until the wall (just north of the post office) is removed, because of the chance of it falling,” said Fairfax Postmaster Lori Kiecker. “I don’t know how quickly that will be. We’re at a standstill until that wall is down because of the risk of it falling on the post office. There is a new temporary roof on the post office.”

Kiecker said the post office floor is being inspected. It may be replaced, and the hanging ceiling has been removed.

“Every so often, we ask for approval of a temporary post office site in Fairfax and have been denied,” Kiecker said. “It’s a corporate decision by someone in Colorado. I have ordered new counters. There is nothing more I can do.”

Kiecker said the City of Fairfax offered the small community center room to be used as a temporary post office at its October meeting, but USPS management denied the offer because they did not know when the adjacent burned-down restaurant would be released from the insurance company involved with the fire investigation.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according a Dec. 9 email received from Minnesota Department of Public Safety Deputy Communications director Jen Longaecker.

Fairfax City Administrator Andrea Merkel said the USPS’ continued denial response to temporary post office space requests were made in favor of repairing the existing post office in the coming three to six months.

In downtown Fairfax, customers were buying sweet rolls, visiting and reading the newspaper at the Sweet Spot Bake Shop last Thursday morning.

Tom Prax walked in and said he’d like to see a temporary post office set up in town.

“There are plenty of buildings here that could be used, like the old police station in the back of the fire hall,” he said.

Fairfax TV and Appliance owner Jerry Pelzel suggested an unused part of the Fairfax Community Center be used as a temporary post office.

Beverly Blumhoefer said she and her husband Norbert drive to Gibbon twice a week to get mail.

Kevin’s Repair owner Kevin Schafer said he and his wife drive to Gibbon every five days to get mail. Schafer said he buys all his repair parts in Fairfax, so the mail service doesn’t hurt his business that way.

Gibbon Post Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.. Saturday hours are 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Postal customers with questions or comments about their mail service can call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@

nujournal.com).