Elderly siblings displaced in Tuesday afternoon fire

BY PETE WICKLUND
Journal Times

Tuesday, June 3, 2008 11:45 PM CDT

DOVER — A farmhouse fire Tuesday afternoon displaced an elderly brother and sister and took a couple of hours to bring under control, fire officials said.

Kansasville and Union Grove firefighters were dispatched at 4:54 p.m. to what was initially reported as a stove fire at the remote, off-road residence in the 2200 block of English Settlement Avenue Highway J. The fire scene is located between Ketterhagen Road and Highway 11.

The fire ended up being a full-fledged structure fire with flames coming through the roof at one point, said Kansasville Fire Chief Jeff Bratz. Help was quickly requested from the Rochester Fire Co. and the city and town of Burlington fire departments. Tanker trucks were refilled at Fischer Park on Browns Lake in the Town of Burlington, Bratz said.

The brother and sister (authorities were not releasing their names Tuesday) were not injured and were reported to be staying with neighbors Tuesday night. Two firefighters received minor injuries during the fire, Bratz said. One was injured in a fall and the other was sprayed in the eye by a hose stream. Both were treated and released at local hospitals.

The cause of the fire was still undetermined Tuesday night. The Racine County Fire Investigation Task Force was called to the scene, but Bratz said he does not suspect anything suspicious.

“It took a couple of hours (to bring under control). It was tough,” Bratz said. “The guys did a good job of stopping it.”

No other buildings at the homestead were affected, Bratz said.

Also assisting at the scene were the Racine County Sheriff’s Department, the Racine Fire Bells and Medix Ambulance Service.

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