Published May 15, 2013, 09:48 AM
Wisconsin wildfire 95 percent contained with gusty winds forecast
UPDATE: The wildfire that swept across 8,700 acres mostly in southern Douglas County is 95 percent contained this morning — but not before it destroyed 47 structures, including 17 homes and cabinsBy: John Myers, Duluth News Tribune
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- Burning house
- Smoke plume
- Aerial view
- Map of affected area
A home along Sutfin Road east of Comminsky Road in Highland Township east of Solon Springs is fully engulfed in part of a 6,600-acre fire that started Tuesday, May 14, 2013, in southern Douglas County. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)
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That’s according to Incident Commander Larry Glodoski of the Firefighting Team for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
An 18-mile bulldozer line had been dug around the fire that was burning young red pines and hardwoods in the mostly rural and wooded area southeast of Solon Springs; several small hot-spots still burned within the perimeter, Glodoski said. No injuries have been reported.
“It’s no longer progressing toward the east,” Glodoski said. “It’s stopped, and we want to keep it stopped.”
He said he’s confident that firefighters can hold the line but he is concerned that strong, gusty winds forecast for later today might rekindle the blaze, first reported Tuesday afternoon. He said firefighting efforts today will focus on the southeast flank of the fire because of expected strong northwest winds.
The Red Cross and state emergency management officials have set up an evacuation center at Drummond High School; as of 7 a.m. 59 evacuees had registered there, and 22 people had spent the night.
Some homeowners were allowed back in to retrieve pets and medicine this morning, but most are not being allowed to return areas that are burned or in danger of burning. Several power poles have burned, downing electric and telephone lines in some areas.
Gov. Scott Walker has sent two Blackhawk helicopters from the Wisconsin National Guard. Two Ontario water-scooping bombers are expected to arrive mid-morning to douse the southeast corner of the fire.
Firefighters from state and federal agencies have been joined by crews from 20 local fire departments from as far away as Spooner and Port Wing. More than 60 fire trucks and bulldozers are involved in the effort.
The fire burned in a random, “mosaic” pattern, creeping along the ground, then up into the trees. There are miles of scorched trees, Glodoski said. There are places where a house burned and houses next door were left untouched.
Danny Archambeau, evacuated his home near Ellison Lake at 8 p.m.
“We thought the fire was going to go north of us,” he said, “but when the wind switched it came at us so fast we had to run. I grabbed my guns, my mother-in-law and my wife — in that order — and we got out.”
At 8 a.m. today Archambeau hadn’t learned whether his house had burned. Authorities are hoping to make a survey and post a list of burned houses this afternoon.
Town of Superior volunteer firefighter Tom Killian said he was paged to respond to the fire about 10 p.m. Tuesday. At 7 a.m. he was leaning against the tire of his fire truck, smoking a cigarette and taking his first break.
Killian’s crew spent the night putting out fires near as many homes as possible. Officials said at least 77 structures were saved because of similar efforts by local fire departments.
“We were at this all night. Now I have to go back and go to work,” Kilian said. “My kid’s concert is at 2, but they’ll probably page us out again tonight for mop-up.”
Heavy smoke cloaked the area this morning; burned trees had fallen across roads. The charred remains of what appeared to be seasonal cabins could be seen from several roads, in the vicinity of Douglas County Highway A,
The fire burned right up to the yard of Bob Gotelaere at his home on Ellison Lake Road. It spared everything but his outhouse. Smoke and small fires were still visible in the area.
“At 8:30 (p.m.) there was too much fire, so we just ran. I have no idea why this didn't burn; I don't know if someone was here fighting the fire or not because we just got out of here,” he said.
His brother-in-law's trailer across the road burned; firefighters were still in the yard putting out the remaining flames on Wednesday morning.
The DNR says it’s the largest wildfire in Wisconsin in years, surpassing the 3,410-acre Cottonville fire in 2005.
In a cruel twist of fate, much of the current fire area was covered in an early May snow 12 days ago. But because the woods have not yet greened up and last year’s leaves and grasses are still ready to burn, the region becomes prone to fire this time of year whenever a week or more passes without substantial rain.
A ban on outdoor fires is in effect for most of the region. Officials said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Today's forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, with northwest winds to 20 mph, which could push the fire toward the southeast.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation closed state Highway 27 in the area as the fire hopped over the road northwest of Barnes.
A shelter and fire command post were set up in Barnes early in the evening, but they were moved as the fire grew. Evacuees were being sent to Drummond, east of Barnes, where Red Cross workers were set up. The fire command moved to Gordon, south and east of Barnes.
Residents were evacuated from the areas around Rock Lake, Loon Lake, Murray Lake, Beauregard Lake, Sand Lake, Catherine Lake, Ellison Lake and from Potowatomi Estates and the Village of Barnes.
Colleen and Scott Ruhman, owners of Cedar Lodge Steakhouse-Grille on Highway N, were taking heed of the evacuation, but first wanted to gather insurance papers, money out of the safe and blueprints of the business, Colleen said. She said the fire was “everywhere” and now they were in danger after it jumped Highway 27, which remained closed late Tuesday.
“They’re evacuating the whole town,” Ruhman said.
Andrea Babcock is a fire warden in the Barnes area and said all she saw Tuesday while driving around the area was “smoke, smoke, smoke.” She said the town of Barnes was on alert as of 9:30 p.m. So far, she hadn’t seen damage from the fire but said police weren’t allowing anyone to go near it.
“This is a big one,” Babcock said.
The fire was threatening an area called Potawatomi Estates north of Barnes. It has 250 seasonal and year-round homes, said association president Greg Roman. He was in Arizona and trying to reach residents but was unable to Tuesday night because of the evacuations.
Just after 8 p.m., at least two large homes were fully engulfed along Sutfin Road west of Rock Lake, about eight miles east of Solon Springs.
Douglas County Emergency Management director Keith Kesler said at 7:30 p.m. that the fire was nearly a mile wide and 5 miles long. He said crews from 12 fire departments were in the area along with “anyone able to fight a fire,” including crews from the Wisconsin DNR and firefighters from Minnesota. Air tankers and scoop planes from both states were being used to drop water on the fire.
Bill Cosh, a Wisconsin DNR spokesman who was contacted in the afternoon after the fire consumed 200 acres, said at the time that the fire had moved up into the crowns of dry pine trees in the Germann Road area.
News Tribune staff writer Mike Creger contributed to this report.
1 comment:
Sorry I haven't been looking at the blog. This was awful, I'm sure you were nervous not knowing what was happening. Have you been up there since this fire? I will call you and find out.
Love to all
Jake
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