THE CITY REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF AMERICA'S MOST DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE
Battle Blaze-Firefighters from 5 departments battled a stubborn fire at Wildlife Décor, located on Highway 64, Friday, March 23. The Town of Peshtigo Fire Department received the alarm at 3:48 p.m. Damage was contained to the wall and rear section of the building. Firefighters had to cut holes in the ceiling to get at the fire. Cause of the fire is believed to be an electrical short from a ceiling light, according to Fire Chief Mike Folgert. Photo-Firefighters hand a hose line to a crew on the roof in order to extinguish the fire that had spread to the attic area.
Thirty-five Firefighters Fight Blaze At Wildlife Decor
Issue Date: March 29, 2018
Five area fire departments responded to a fire at Wildlife Décor W2874 Highway 64 on Friday March 23. The Town of Peshtigo Fire Department received the alarm at 3:48 p.m. after a passerby saw smoke coming from the roof at the rear of the building.
While firefighters were in route to the scene Marinette County Dispatch provided additional information to Fire Chief Mike Folgert, that flames were coming through the roof and back wall of the building. Chief Folgert, immediately called for a MABAS box alarm and requested mutual aid from the City of Marinette, City of Peshtigo, Grover-Porterfield and Little River Fire Departments. A total of 35 firefighters and 13 pieces of equipment responded.
The fire burned a large section of the rear wall of the shop and extended into the attic igniting wooded trusses and insulation. The fire was knocked down within minutes after firefighters made entry in the building, but overhaul was lengthy due to difficulty accessing the attic area. Several access holes had to be cut into the metal clad ceiling so firefighters could search for and extinguish the smoldering fire.
Cause of the fire is believed to be electrical in nature, having started in the ceiling near a quartz halogen light fixture. No injuries were reported and damage estimates were not available. The business is owned by Wayne Wilke and Mark Kopish was able to re-open for production at 6 a.m. Monday morning. Wilke thanked all the firefighters and volunteers that assisted in any way, he added, "the fire could have been a lot worse".
Other agencies responding to the fire scene were, Emergency Rescue Squad, Bay Area Paramedics, Peshtigo Police Department and the Marinette County Sheriff's Department. Wisconsin Public Service was also called to the scene to cut power to the building