The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
BIG BEND, Wis. — A fire at a Big Bend home sent a Big Bend-Vernon firefighter to the hospital Monday.
The firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, according to Big Bend-Vernon Acting Fire Chief Brian Peterson. She was released Monday night.
Six departments and about 35 firefighters responded to the fire at W230 S9023 Clark St. at about noon.
Big Bend Police Chief Michael Hartert was first on the scene, responding to a call for a fully involved garage fire, with explosions.
Tess Corners was the first fire department at the scene, as Big Bend-Vernon was on another call, taking a patient to the hospital.
Big Bend-Vernon responded as quickly as possibly, along with the Town of Waukesha, Mukwonago, Wales-Genesee, New Berlin and North Prairie fire departments.
Peterson said the owner of the home, Mort Bailey, was welding under a car in the garage when the ground caught fire. Bailey extinguished the fire and went into the house for lunch. While eating lunch, he smelled smoke as the smoke alarms went off in the house. Upon opening the door to the garage, he discovered the garage fully engulfed. The homeowner and a neighbor both called the fire department.
Bailey, two others and a dog evacuated the house.
Peterson noted that the smoke detectors were working in the home, and reminds residents that with daylight saving time this weekend, now is the time to change the batteries.
The fire is under investigation, but is not considered criminal; no damage estimate is available.
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