On Saturday at approximately 4:21 p.m., the Lincoln County Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a structure fire at N2309 Moritzville Ave. in the town of Merrill.
The first unit to arrive on the scene was a deputy from the Sheriff’s Office who reported the house was completely engulfed in flames. Fire units from the Merrill Fire Department along with units from the Pine River Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. The tenants were not home at the time of the fire, however two dogs and a kitten were in the home. One dog was safely removed from the home by a neighbor prior to emergency personnel arriving on scene. The second was a puppy that was locked in a kennel in the home. The puppy was also safely removed from the house by the first deputy who arrived on the scene. The kitten has not been found.
During the fire, one of the tenants and a family member were arrested for disorderly conduct and obstructing emergency personnel. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the arrested parties refused to obey lawful orders of law enforcement at the scene, and their conduct interfered with the emergency personnel’s safety and ability to properly respond to the emergency.
The Merrill Police Department assisted with traffic management. The home was considered a total loss.