BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The Merrill Fire Department (MFD) responded to the scene of a house fire at W4903 Ackerman Rd. in the Town of Merrill Monday morning, Dec. 4, 2023, just before 10 a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the roof. Initial information from the Lincoln County 911 Dispatch Center was “that the fire was in the basement and was starting to spread to the rest of the home.”
MFD Engine 61, Medic 61, and Tender 65 responded to the scene where Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies were already on-scene and confirmed the home’s single human occupant and a dog were out of the building and escaped without injury.
“Initial crews deployed 1 3/4 lines up the long driveway and started a transitional attack on the fire which was showing from the family room area of the home,” Battalion Chief Phil Skoug said. “Personnel then made entry into the structure to perform an interior attack on the remaining fire.”
MFD requested mutual aid from Pine River Fire Department, Corning Fire Department, Russell Fire Department, the City of Wausau Fire Department and issued a General Alarm for off-duty Merrill fire fighters. They also requested assistance from Tomahawk EMS and Wisconsin Public Service.
“Drafting operations were set up near the bottom of the driveway,” Skoug said in a press release. “Due to the narrow road, staging of mutual aid apparatus and personnel was set up on Knight Lake Rd.”
“The fire had quickly spread to the roof of the structure,” he said. “Interior crews began to perform overhaul to locate the additional fire in the roof. Crews located the area where the fire was and extinguished the remaining fire during salvage and overhaul operations.”
Crews were on-scene for several hours.
The second floor of the single family home sustained heavy smoke and fire damage in addition to “moderate damage” to the home’s lower level, according to the MFD.
According to their initial investigation, while the fire remains under investigation, the fire is believed to have started in the basement, is not suspicious, and was unintentional in nature.
This is the third fire in the Merrill area since Nov. 19, the third house fire in a span of just 15 days. There are now three red bulbs on the “Keep the Wreath Green” evergreen wreath hanging on the outside of the MFD building.
