TOWN OF WILSON, WI (WHBL) - A Kohler Police officer is being credited for preventing a shed fire Christmas Eve from causing greater damage.
Town of Wilson/Black River Fire Department Chief Brian Schmitt says the initial call came in around 9:20 p.m. at Weeden Station Apple Orchard. When fire fighters arrived they found heavy smoke coming from the doorway of the shed.
A total of 45 firefighters, EMS, and emergency personnel responded to the scene from seven agencies. They included fire departments from Haven, Oostburg, and City of Sheboygan, plus the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department, the Kohler Police Department, and Town of Wilson First Responders.
Schmitt believes the cause for the fire was due to the building’s owner grinding metal and creating sparks just before leaving for dinner. When the man returned about 90 minutes later there was heavy smoke coming from the building. A Kohler Police officer, who was nearby at Best Buy when the call came in, is credited with keeping the owner from re-entering the building. That action prevented doors from being opened and allowing more oxygen into the building to let the fire grow.
Schmitt says the fire was put out within 20 minutes of arriving on the scene, with damage limited to a work area and the ceiling above it. No injuries were reported.