Town Fire Chief Ed Umnus has removed his name from the ballot for the fire chief position for 2018, he said in a Facebook post and the town administrator verified. Assistant Chief Bill Vrchota will step into the chief's role on Jan. 1. Umnus has served with the Town of Burlington Fire Department for almost 28 years and has served as fire chief for six, according to a Facebook post by Umnus announcing he was stepping down. - PUB DATE: 12/8/2017 2:17:11 AM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times
Ciganek had learned she had a four inch by four inch mass on her ovary. A few weeks later, she was told she had stage 4 colon cancer. Ciganek started a new, aggressive chemotherapy regimen at Froedtert Hospital, which worked well at the time. Her chemo was followed up by surgery. Ciganek got her first sign something was wrong when she jumped off a rig following a fire call — and felt excruciating abdominal pain. - PUB DATE: 12/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FOX 6 Now
A Milwaukee Fire Department acting lieutenant repeatedly groped a co-worker and gave her low marks on her work evaluation after she complained, according to a criminal complaint charging him with a felony. Michael Peden, 35, was charged Thursday with second-degree sexual assault after his arrest last weekend. - PUB DATE: 12/8/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
After nearly 32 years of service with the Merrill Fire Department, Battalion Chief Mike Drury will retire Friday, according to a news release. “I have always felt truly blessed with my calling to be a professional firefighter, as I believe it is one of the most admirable and respectable professions there is," he said in a Nov. - PUB DATE: 12/7/2017 7:25:26 AM - SOURCE: Wausau Daily Herald
A 12-unit apartment complex was evacuated early Thursday morning because of burnt food, officials said. Crews were called around 1:45 a.m. to the 600 block of Schiller Street for a report of a structure fire, according to a release. Firefighters found heavy smoke on the second floor, so they evacuated the building, officials said. - PUB DATE: 12/7/2017 7:18:35 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
Tomah City Council members approved the city’s 2018 budget Monday during a special meeting at Tomah city hall. The approved budget will decrease the city’s portion of local property tax bills next year. The city’s mill rate drops to $7.90 in 2018 from $8.51 in 2017. The property levy will remain nearly flat, rising from $5,121,713 in 2017 to $5,153,441 in 2018, an increase of $31,728 or . - PUB DATE: 12/7/2017 4:20:15 AM - SOURCE: Tomah Journal
Seven people were displaced Wednesday after a fire at their Burlington home. Firefighters responded to a 5:44 a.m. call at 173 W. State St., said City of Burlington Fire Chief Al Babe. The Red Cross was also called to assist. No one was hurt in the fire, Babe said. Fire crews fought heavy smoke conditions on the second floor and in the attic. - PUB DATE: 12/7/2017 2:13:39 AM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times
VIDEO: Firefighters remained on the scene all day Tuesday fighting a blaze that eventually destroyed a cold storage building at 1212 West St. in Wausau. The fire was tracked to an attic, and firefighters had to cut through the roof to try to extinguish the flames. Ultimately, the roof collapsed and emergency crews had to pull down the building to get access to smoldering parts. - PUB DATE: 12/6/2017 7:25:49 AM - SOURCE: Stevens Point Journal
Following a study regarding the needs of the Hudson Fire Department in March, the city has approved moving forward with a study of the Ward Avenue property as the future site of a new station. The study will be conducted by Five Bugles Design, which did the initial needs study. At the common council meeting on Monday, Nov. - PUB DATE: 12/6/2017 6:28:36 AM - SOURCE: Hudson Star-Observer
First responders helped save a woman who was unable to leave her home after a fire started in her room on Tuesday afternoon. Racine firefighters responded to a report of a fire at 3408 21st St., between Blaine and Arthur avenues. The call came in at about 12:20 p.m. First responders were made aware of the fire after they received a call from the woman’s Lifeline Alert system. - PUB DATE: 12/6/2017 3:03:30 AM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times
VIDEO: Wednesday afternoon, 28 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students are performing a reenactment of the great Green Bay fire of 1880. The reenactment takes place from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. On September 20, 1880, sparks from the ship Oconto started a fire that tore through Green Bay's east side, destroying about 100 structures and causing 1 death. - PUB DATE: 12/6/2017 2:07:00 AM - SOURCE: WFRV-TV and WJMN-TV Green Bay
VIDEO: Firefighters put out a house fire at 380 Munn Road in the Town of Madison Tuesday afternoon, despite challenging high winds, officials said. A woman was home when the fire started just after 2 p.m., but was able to leave the house, Town of Madison Fire Department Chief David Bloom said. Bloom said no one was hurt in the fire, but said a pet iguana is believed to be inside. - PUB DATE: 12/5/2017 2:22:07 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
One-hundred and eighty-five kids and their families had the opportunity Saturday to buy Christmas presents with local law enforcement and firefighters. The 17th annual Shop with a Hero event brought in 170 children to the Beloit Walmart on Saturday morning, where the kids were able to shop with an officer or firefighter to not only pick out presents for themselves but for the whole family. - PUB DATE: 12/5/2017 7:18:18 AM - SOURCE: Beloit Daily News
VIDEO: Madison Fire Department said a business did the right thing after what could have been a close call with carbon monoxide over the weekend.
Crews were called to That BBQ Joint on Williamson Street Saturday close to 5 p.m. after complaints of an “odd smell.” When firefighters arrived, they found a carbon monoxide leak and evacuated the restaurant. - PUB DATE: 12/4/2017 5:30:38 PM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison
Recent scams involving individuals claiming to be associated with area fire departments have local officials warning residents to be on the lookout for similar cons. Scammers have targeted the cities of Madison and Jefferson recently and are reaching out to people via phone and mail. According to a city of Madison scam alert release, a caller told a woman they were “from the fire department” and asked if she had her smoke alarms regularly checked. - PUB DATE: 12/4/2017 10:57:42 AM - SOURCE: DeForest Times
VIDEO: Two people escaped injury Sunday morning when their hot air balloon crashed into power lines on Meade Street north of Wege Road in Outagamie County. One of the occupants felt tingling in his hands when they hit the power lines. They were instructed to stay in the basket until We Energies arrived to cut the power. - PUB DATE: 12/3/2017 1:00:14 PM - SOURCE: Appleton Post-Gazette & Post Crescent.com
A Merrill Battalion Chief, Mike Drury, is walking out of the Fire Department doors after 35 years of service on December 8. Drury has delivered three babies, worked during a tornado, saved the driver of a semi-truck rollover, battled a huge building fire and much more. But, his friends insisted he talk about his helmet modeling days. - PUB DATE: 12/3/2017 7:46:36 AM - SOURCE: WRIG-AM Fox Sports 1390
Firefighters were called to a barn fire in the town of Lyndon just after noon on Saturday, Dec. 2. Dispatchers received several 911 calls reporting the barn fire on County Highway F in south-central Sheboygan County. Responding officers said a portion of the barn was fully engulfed, but that it was empty and no injuries were reported. - PUB DATE: 12/3/2017 7:32:20 AM - SOURCE: Sheboygan Press
VIDEO: A DOA spokesperson says it appears the driver had a medical event that led to the crash. There is no reported damage to the Capitol building. No one else was in the car when it crashed. Witnesses in the area at the time of the crash describe what they saw. "I was walking by and there was a car next to the Capitol. - PUB DATE: 12/2/2017 9:24:18 PM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC
PHOTO: On Saturday around 6:04 p.m. Fond du Lac Fire responded to 438 4th Street for a car fire. When firefighters arrived they found a car fire that spread to the house and garage. The fire also melted the siding of a neighboring house. The owner of the car used a fire extinguisher to try and put the fire out before firefighters arrived. - PUB DATE: 12/2/2017 7:50:40 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee
