The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a house fire at 400 N. Center St. shortly after 2 p.m. Friday. Dodge County Dispatch reported that the porch of the home was on fire. Flames could be seen from blocks away but were quickly brought under control by Beaver Dam firefighters.
The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a house fire at 400 N. Center St. shortly after 2 p.m. and spent the next few hours battling the blaze as police barricaded the area.
“We got the call of a possible fire on a porch,” Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel said. “Firefighter Jim Yaroch, former firefighter Jeff Omen and officer Andy Strachota found a subject sleeping upstairs. They woke him up and probably saved his life.”
The home at 400 Center Street was a duplex.
Flames could be seen from blocks away but were quickly battled back by Beaver Dam firefighters.
“They used the deck gun to knock the bulk of the fire down, but it got into the ceiling of the porch,” Mannel said.
Like many older homes, the house has balloon construction. Mannel said it’s a problem for fire departments to battle fires in these homes because of the framework, but they are familiar with the required procedures.
“The guys did a good job,” Mannel said. “There was heavy fire damage on the first and third floor.”
There was significant fire damage, but Mannel said it was possible that the house could be repaired.
One cat was saved by a firefighter and was given oxygen before being turned over to the Dodge County Humane Society.
Mannel said the department is doing a routine investigation and it is trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
Beaver Dam police officers blocked off the street and handled traffic around the area which remained blocked off until 4:30 p.m. Police officers had an additional battle when Beaver Dam Middle School students were released at 2:42 p.m.
School officials were contacted and agreed to let the students out of the back of the school.
“Two officers were positioned in the back of the building and three officers were in the front of the building,” Beaver Dam police lieutenant John Kreuziger said. “We didn’t let anyone out the front of the school. It worked very well. There was great cooperation by the school.”
Kathy Barrientes lives in the bottom apartment of the duplex with her husband Benny and children Keith and Tabitha. Keith’s girlfriend Carina Sell also lives in the home.
The family was planning on celebrating Tabitha’s 19th birthday today.
“We lost everything,” Kathy Barrientes said.
She said she was in the kitchen when she heard someone yell that there was a fire. She grabbed one of her cats, Skittles, and yelled for everyone else to get out of the home.
“I was worried about Brad upstairs, but he got out,” Kathy Barrientes said.
Muriel Harper, from the Red Cross, said the first thing they worked on was getting replacement medication for several family members and finding housing for them for the night.
Fire departments from Burnett, Juneau and Fox Lake assisted in battling the blaze.
“We will also be providing them with emergency food and personal clean-up kits,” Harper said.
Faye Sherron, who works for a fellowship who is trying to help out the family, said that they hope that people will try to stay away from the home and help the Barrientes.
“Anyone who knows this family knows that it has been one struggle after another for this family,” Sherron said.
Sherron is attempting to set up a fund for the family.