By Kim McDarison
An apartment fire in an eight-unit building in the 1000 block of Whitewater Avenue erupted early this morning.
The Fort Atkinson Fire Department received the call at approximately 5:42 a.m., according to Fort Atkinson Fire Chief Daryl Rausch. He said he was on the scene about six minutes later, and the first engine from the department arrived two minutes after he did.
When firefighters arrived, Rausch said, they found a second-floor deck fully involved in flames, which were also extending into the building’s attic.
Residents in the apartment were home at the time and included an adult male, adult female and a minor female, Rausch said, adding that the adult male is disabled. The family was assisted from the apartment by Fort Atkinson police officers.
The adult male was transported by Ryan Brothers Ambulance Service to address a need for minor medical assistance, Rausch said.
Police also checked the building’s other apartments to make sure all residents were evacuated.
Among the building’s eight apartments, Rausch said, four are located on the first floor and four on a second floor.
All of the apartments within the building were affected by the fire. The apartment where the fire originated has “significant fire damage” the chief said. Another had smoke damage, and a downstairs apartment had water damage. The remaining five apartments had “minor smoke damage” Rausch said.
Residents living within four of the apartments will likely be able to return to their homes by tonight, Rausch noted, while residents in four of the apartments will likely remained displaced for a “significant amount of time.” All of the families involved are being assisted by the Red Cross, he added.
The building was also home to numerous pets, Rausch said, including a number of cats, at least one dog and a rat. All were removed from the building safely and are accounted for.
While Rausch could not estimate a cost associated with the damage, he did say he believed the damage to be “significant, but repairable.”
Rausch identified the cause of the fire as coming from discarded smoking materials that were not properly extinguished.
He noted that the occupants of the apartment said they had noticed a fire on the deck at approximately 4 a.m., but thought they had extinguished it and therefore did not call the fire department. Later, Rausch said, a passerby noticed flames, which were described as burning the deck and its furniture, and the passerby called 911.
Cautioning the public, Rausch said: “Even if you think you’ve extinguished a fire, it’s so important to call the fire department and let us check it out.”
The chief said this incident is the third this year where someone thought they had extinguished a fire when they had not.
Firefighters cleared this morning’s scene at 9:07 a.m. Rausch said.
To extinguish the fire, the MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) was activated. Rausch said the fire was identified, using MABAS protocols, as “working still,” which, he said, is the level below the first alarm.
Equipment and firefighters from departments in Milton, Jefferson and Lake Mills assisted with the call. Rausch said some 16 mutual aid firefighters were on hand as well as 19 from the Fort Atkinson Fire Department.
Improperly extinguished and discarded smoking materials are the likely cause of this early morning apartment fire in the 1000 block of Whitewater Avenue, according to Fort Atkinson Fire Chief Daryl Rausch. Firefighters responded to a fire noticed on an apartment building’s deck after it was reported by a passerby. Apartment residents noted that they had extinguished a fire on the deck earlier this morning. Rausch has cautioned the public to call the department even if it looks like a fire has been extinguished so that firefighters can make sure the fire is fully and properly extinguished. Contributed photos.
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