March 01--Eau Claire firefighters battled flames and frigid temperatures while putting out a two-alarm house fire Friday morning on Centre Street.
With the wind chill, temperatures felt like minus 10 degrees or colder, according to the National Weather Service. Because of that, the Fire Department rotated crews and attempted to keep firefighters warm.
"It's pretty cold," fire Inspector Michael Laska said at the scene on the city's North Side Hill. "You've got guys that are frozen because of all the water and things. That's why we're trying to rotate crews as much as possible."
A city bus parked near the fire provided a place for firefighters to warm up.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at 542 Centre St. shortly after 7:30 a.m. A second alarm was issued shortly after.
At first, the fire was fought inside the house, but firefighters pulled out about 8 a.m. for safety reasons.
The fire was under control by noon, said Battalion Chief Scott Walby.
The house was reported to be an unoccupied single-family dwelling. A Fire
Department news release issued late Friday said the cause is under investigation.
The fire did an estimated $70,000 worth of damage, according to the release.
Melissa Burt, who lives on Centre Street, said she heard the sirens and saw the trucks and the bus where firefighters were warming up.
"I did kind of sneak out and see that it was a ways away," Burt said.
Other neighbors said they saw flames shooting out of the residence and heard the windows popping.
Kevin Barreto stood outside watching as firefighters worked to put out the fire. He said he was in the area visiting family members who live on Centre Street.
While firefighters did not ask the surrounding residents to evacuate their homes, neighbors said they still worried about their residences while the fire was being extinguished.
Officials at Longfellow Elementary School, which is across the street from the fire, said it was business as usual despite the flames. Principal Sarah Lynch said some children were a bit anxious when they saw all the commotion as they made their way into school.
"We've had lots of adults in the hallway keeping kids calm," Lynch said.
Lynch said many firefighters arrived on the scene right away to control the blaze, so she was not too worried about the safety of students or staff.
Miels can be reached at 715-833-9214, 800-236-7077 or [email protected].
Copyright 2014 - The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
