One dead in village of Wausaukee fire

VILLAGE OF WAUSAUKEE, Wis. (WBAY) - One person died in a fire in the Village of Wausaukee Monday night.

Dispatchers were notified of a fire at an apartment building on Elizabeth Street at about 9:16 p.m.

“The first thing was to evacuate and make sure everybody is evacuated from the other apartments. People were scattered all over,” Wausaukee Fire Chief Eric Edelbeck said.

The fire chief said most of the fire was on the outside of the building when crews arrived, but the flames had reached the second floor and extended through the roof.

Tenants said the smoke was billowing everywhere and it was difficult to see while evacuating.

“Someone was ringing my doorbell, banging on my door. ‘Get out! Get out! Get out!’ I open my door, all I see is smoke and flames just overtaking the whole area,” tenant Andrea Madsen told us.

The fire initially started in a shed connected to the building. That’s where firefighters found the victim.

Officials believe the victim was a middle-aged man but they have not made the name public. Medical Examiner Kalynn Van Ermen has ordered an autopsy to positively identify the victim.

No one else was hurt.

The building had four apartments. The American Red Cross is helping tenants find other places to stay.

The State Fire Marshal with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation was called to help determine the cause of the fire.

Multiple agencies responded, including Wausaukee Fire, Middle Inlet Fire, Wausaukee Rescue, Wisconsin Public Service, Wisconsin Fire Marshal’s Office, Marinette County Dispatch, Marinette County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Marinette County Sheriff’s Office.

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