Update: The Amber Alert is canceled. The child has been found safe.
Update: An Amber Alert has been issued and states the following: At approximately 10:44 a.m., on June 11, 2021, a fire occurred at 415 Foster St, Fort Atkinson, Wis. A deceased individual was located in the fire. Elizabeth M. Durkee was seen leaving the fire scene with 2 year old Emma J. Schoonover in a 2004 gray Chevy Malibu. Information has been received which indicates that Emma is in great danger. Those with information are encouraged to call the Wisconsin Department of Justice at 1-800-263-5906. A link to the full Amber Alert is here: https://amberalert.widoj.gov.
By Kim McDarison
One person has died in a house fire that took place Friday in the 400 block of Foster Street.
The Fort Atkinson Fire Department was alerted to “fire blowing out of the side of a house” at 10:51 a.m., Chief Daryl Rausch said.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at 10:56 a.m. to discover a 1-1/2 story, single-family home at 415 Foster St. with flames on the north side of the first floor that were spreading throughout the building.
“At some point, it was indicated that somebody could be in the building,” Rausch said, adding that firefighters entered the house and did find a body.
Upon entering the building, firefighters were pushed back by the heat and were unable to remove the body after it was located, Rausch said.
Details about the victim were unavailable Friday, Rausch said, citing an investigation under way by the state fire marshal’s office. He was unable to say where in the structure the body was found.
Information about who and how many people were living in the home also was unavailable.
Rausch said there were reports of a cat living inside the residence, but firefighters did not discover it.
While the building is still standing, Rausch described it as a total loss and said it will be torn down once the state fire marshal’s investigation is completed.
He anticipated its completion sometime next week.
Rausch said he believed more information about the fire would be released at a later date.
The MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) was activated, primarily to get help from other departments to provide firefighters relief from conditions of high humidity and extreme heat while battling the fire, Rausch said, adding that multiple departments responded to the call.
Rausch described the day’s events as “biblical,” with high heat and even a hailstorm.
“It was an interesting day. It started out hot and humid and we called for mutual aid because of that,” he said.
After extinguishing the fire, he said, a second storm moved through the area and firefighters were dispatched to help with storm-related calls such as fallen trees.
Firefighters returned to the station after the day’s events at about 8:45 p.m.
Above photos: Firefighters work to extinguish a house fire at 415 Foster St.
Photos by Chris Spangler.
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