By Kim McDarison
Reporter-publisher
Fire swept through a one-story dwelling along U.S. Highway 12 between Fort Atkinson and Whitewater early this morning, leaving a family of five homeless.
Fort Atkinson Fire Department Chief Daryl Rausch said the department received a call about a house fire at N833 Highway 12 at 3:09 a.m.
The property is located between the the highway’s intersections with Cheeseborough and Carnes roads.
While the structure, including the home and an attached three-car garage, was a total loss, there were no injuries to residents or pets, Rausch said.
The structure was valued at $300,500, he added.
When firefighters arrived, the flames were burning through the roof of both the garage and the attached home, Rausch said, adding that while an official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, a potential scenario is that the fire started in the attached garage, where a wood-burning furnace was located.
The family was home at the time of the fire and was alerted by smoke detectors, Rausch said.
“They were able to get their dogs out and we were told that a cat was missing,” he said.
Firefighters were able to locate the cat in the basement, administer oxygen and return the pet to the homeowners.
“It likely will be fine,” the chief said.
To battle the blaze, some 40,000 gallons of water were transported to the scene. Frigid temperatures caused attack lines and engines to freeze up, Rausch said, adding that when he arrived at the scene at 3:19 a.m., the temperature outside was 9 degrees below zero.
Some 13 fire departments responded to the mutual-aid call, Rausch said, the majority of which were from Jefferson County. Three were from Rock County and at least one was from Walworth County, he added.
Other responders included Ryan Brothers Ambulance Service, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Jefferson County and City of Fort Atkinson Department of Public Works crews.
The Jefferson County Traffic Division also was on hand to help with road closures on Highway 12.
Firefighters were aided by MABAS (mutual aid box alarm system) rehab units, and, the chief said, “quite a number of citizens and businesses in the community brought food and hot drinks to the station and the scene.”
Crews worked to remove about four inches of ice that had built up on the road after the fire was out, he said.
The fire was placed under control at 4:32 a.m. and it was out at 8:11, Rausch said.
Crews cleared the scene at 10:05 a.m.
Highway 12 was closed to traffic until about 9:30 this morning.
Several photos show the blaze and aftermath of a fire early this morning on Highway 12 between Fort Atkinson and Whitewater. Fort Atkinson Fire Department Chief Daryl Rausch said there was no loss of life and described the structure as a total loss. Photos courtesy of the Fort Atkinson Fire Department.
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