On Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, at 7:12 p.m., the Pine River Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire at N1964 French Ridge Rd., Merrill, in the Town of Pine River. The initial reports were that a residential structure was on fire and at least one occupant was trapped.
All residents were accounted for when law enforcement arrived; one adult female reported she leapt from a second floor window to escape the fire.
A family dog perished in the blaze; another dog was rescued unharmed by a Pine River First Responder as it tried to re-enter the home. That dog was reunited with the family.
Firefighters arrived to find portions of the first floor engulfed in flames. Firefighters conducted an exterior attack and then an aggressive interior attack knocking down the majority of the fire.
As a part of MABAS Division 155 [Mutual Aid Box Alarm Sysem, a mutual aid measure that may be used for deploying fire, rescue, and emergency medical services personnel in a multi-jurisdictional and/or multi-agency response], Pine River Firefighters requested and received mutual aid from surrounding area Fire Departments including the Towns of Corning, Hewitt, Russell, and Texas, along with the City of Merrill Fire Department who also provided an ambulance to check the four people who occupied the home when the fire broke out, all of whom declined medical transport.

Due to the home’s construction, a clam truck from the Lincoln County Highway Department was needed and called to the scene to remove a metal roof; this exposed a large portion of the fire which had extended to the attic of the home.
The home is a complete loss. No dollar estimate pertaining to the loss is available at this time; however, the homeowner indicated the home was not insured.
According to the Pine River Fire Department, it is believed that at least six adults and a two-year-old child had resided in the home and were now left homeless. They have all been assisted by the American Red Cross.
The Salvation Army and the Pine River and Town of Russell First Responders provided assistance to firefighters on the scene.