No Injuries in 2 Waukesha House Fires

Two house fires were put out Thursday by thebut no injuries were reported at either fire, according to Battalion Chief Joe Hoffman.

The first fire was reported at 1:36 p.m. at 1709 Indianwood Lane by the neighbors. Hoffman was the first on scene two minutes later because he was close to the scene when the call came and observed the smoke on his way to the fire. A ladder truck was in the area for a medical call on Guthrie Road, so the firefighters cleared that call and arrived on a scene soon after to attack the fire, according to Hoffman

“Although we had a great response time, the fire had a head start,” Hoffman said.

The house is severely damaged, Hoffman said. The homeowners were not there when the fire started and the fire was reported by a neighbor.

The neighbor and another person kicked open the front door of the residence, which saved the dog that was in the house.

The fire on Indianwood Lane is still under investigation, but Hoffman said it started in the back of the home where electricity feeds into the house.

The second fire was reported in a garage at 8:26 p.m. Firefighters were on scene at 324 Stewart Hill Drive at the intersection of Stewart Hill and Joellen drives by 8:30 p.m. The fire remains under investigation, but a person at the residence had been using smoking materials in the garage, according to Hoffman. The fire was concentrated in the garage and an attached utility room, but other parts of the home were damaged as firefighters checked for fire extension.

The two-family building is owned by a father and a son. The father’s side of the house was not damaged and the residents were able to stay in the undamaged half of the duplex.

But with winter just around the corner, the water on scene had turned to ice. Salt was brought out to melt the slippery road.

“It is obviously a cold day,” Hoffman said. “We have an issue with water on the ground that we are dealing with (becaue it is) turning over to ice already. Slips and falls are always a hazard.”