(Photo by KCE Reader)
SALEM LAKES, Wis. — A brush fire that reportedly started when cardboard burning got out of control quickly escalated into a massive multi-agency emergency response Sunday afternoon near Highway 50, forcing traffic shutdowns and drawing firefighters from across southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
Fire crews were first dispatched to Meyer Farm, 22201 75th St., after reports that a grass fire had spread beyond control. Dispatchers advised firefighters that a tree and tires were burning near a shop and pole barn, though the flames were believed to be more than 1,000 feet from the nearest structure.
(Photo by KCE Reader)
Initial radio traffic described the fire as roughly 30 feet by 30 feet, but the response rapidly intensified. Salem Fire requested help from Bristol and then upgraded the incident to a MABAS working still, bringing in additional brush trucks, ATVs, ambulances, chiefs and other specialized resources.
As the fire continued burning, Salem requested even more assistance and eventually upgraded the response to a second alarm.
Fire departments and agencies from Bristol, Kansasville, Randall, Summers, Union Grove, Paris, Burlington, Lake Geneva, Lake Villa, Newport, Richmond, Twin Lakes and others were called in to assist either directly at the scene or by covering stations left vacant by responding crews.
(Photo by KCE Reader)
Deputies with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office were forced to shut down portions of Highway 50 near Paddock Lake, Highway 83 and other nearby roadways because of the large number of fire trucks and emergency vehicles converging on the scene.
Radio traffic indicated traffic became heavily backed up in both directions. Deputies discussed rerouting vehicles through Highway K and other nearby roads because Highway 50 had become “choked out” by emergency traffic.
At one point, law enforcement officials said eastbound and westbound traffic had to remain shut down because more fire apparatus continued arriving at the scene.
(Photo by KCE Reader)
Deputies were also called to assist with crowd control and to keep people away from the active fire scene. Fire officials requested additional deputies to help block off the area and prevent motorists from entering.
There were no immediate reports of injuries related to the fire. It does not appear that any homes or structures were damaged.
Crews remained on scene for several hours Sunday afternoon before beginning to clear the scene later in the day. By about 3 p.m., most mutual aid companies had returned to service.
The cause of the fire appears to have been accidental, with radio traffic indicating someone had been burning cardboard when the flames spread beyond control.
22 Responses
Started from burning cardboard… was it the people at Meyer Farm burning the cardboard? Fire danger warnings are all over the place. Hopefully, whomever decided to burn cardboard sees a hefty, life-altering fine as well as charges pressed, and a family name doesn’t make all of these issues disappear.
Burning garbage is so 1970’s. Get with the times!
Farmers and country people do not recycle or use garbage cans
The majority of plastic—roughly 90%—ends up in landfills, incinerators, or the environment. They’re just bypassing the collection.
Calm down, Karen. People can burn paper.
Pull your head out of your butt, dumbass. When it shuts down state highways because it’s so out of control, it’s not a matter of being a Karen- it’s common sense that severe consequences should occur. Or, are you good with your tax dollars being spent on other people’s stupidity.
Go back to your No Kings party, plenty more like you there.
It seems to me that this person you are criticizing would not attend a No Kings rally.
Probably more like a BLM riot, since they seem to like large, unnecessary fires that shut down major thoroughfares.
My thoughts exactly. They weren’t being responsible by far. They should’ve been burning cardboard in a metal drum.
If you can’t burn for a month or more because the wind doesn’t ever stop … then you can’t burn ….. PERIOD …. for a month
or more.
Not even in a barrel ……….. stuff blows out of those too.
Stockpile it or do whatever you got to do but you CANNOT burn when it’s windy.
lol I’ll continue to burn cardboard and paper wherever I’d like. Karen can continue to pout.
I hope you have to pay for the massive emergency response after you spark a wildfire.
He’s going to wind up burning his own house down, probably his neighbor’s house, too, and probably burn his tiny little weenie as he’s playing with it watching it all go down.
All these down votes but people are on here, on the daily, talking about how it’s bullish that the Kerkmans get away with everything. So, “we want change, a last name shouldn’t be a free pass!” but also, “give people a free pass because we like them!”
That’s why this county is fked up 🤣🤣
I’m glad I live in Racine County.
Kenosha County deserves every single bit of what they’ve got, down there. From the Kerkman Crime Family to Dirty Decker right on down the line.
Parked In front of the owners house.
I’m thinking they dropped off the bill !
Winds weren’t really strong but enough to mess things up and get out of control.
People Need to be experienced in burning to control any kind of trash burning.
Be smart.
No surprise this story turned political all of a sudden.
The winds were strong yesterday. Not well thought out open burning on a windy day.
That’s not smoke from cardboard.
It’s from tires , just saying
Truth.
Can’t fix stupid
doesn’t look like cardboard burning to me