The Merrill Fire Department was notified by Lincoln County 911 dispatch at 7:30 Sunday evening for a report of a “non-active” bedroom fire at W5199 Winkelman Ave., in the Town of Rock Falls. Incident Command along with Merrill Fire personnel responded to the scene initially with Engine 2, Tender 65 and Medic 1.
Upon arrival, there was no smoke or flames showing. Merrill’s Incident Commander called for an interior investigation with the use of a thermal imaging camera. The investigating crew quickly found the fire had been out for some time and there were no hotspots in the entire residence. Ventilation was performed throughout the structure utilizing a natural ventilation to rid the home of fire/smoke smell.
According to the owner, they had left before the Christmas Holidays and returned to their home Sunday evening and found the charred bedroom and broken water pipes. The fire appeared to have started in a bedroom corner near a night stand where several electrical items were plugged into an outlet through the use of an extension cord.
No injuries were reported from the incident.
The Lincoln County Sheriff Department was on scene and assisted the Fire Department. The fire is still under further investigation, but electrical cannot be ruled out as a cause at this time. Smoke and water damage were minimal to the home.