One person is dead and "several adults were injured" in a Schofield apartment fire Monday morning.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) State Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting a fire investigation in Schofield, Wis. that occurred Monday morning, according to a DOJ release.
Just after 4:40 a.m., the Riverside Fire District responded to a fire at an apartment complex on the 600 block of Grand Avenue in Schofield, Wis. Several adults were injured, one adult was taken to the hospital and one adult was found deceased, the release said.
The release also said:
The State Fire Marshal’s Office is leading the investigation into the cause and origin of this fire. Several agencies assisted Riverside Fire District on scene including Kronenwetter Fire Department, City of Wausau Fire Department, Easton Fire Department, Ringle Fire Department, Marathon City Fire Department, Mosinee Fire Department, SAFER, Mountain Bay Police, Red Cross and Salvation Army.
Joshua Mitch lives in the building adjacent to the one that caught fire - and spoke about what he saw. Mitch said, "They said my building was on fire and I was like, what? So I came over to see what was going on. When I got here, I saw the fire trucks and the roof was really smoking really bad."
Kathryn Halvorsen, the executive director for the Red Cross of Northcentral Wisconsin, said that they were ready to help in any way they can. Halvorsen said, "Offering financial assistance, case work has been opened, guiding them through mental health resources, counseling. We're here for whatever they might need going forward."
Fortunately, she said that everyone who was displaced has found somewhere else to stay.
The DOJ also said the nature of fire investigations requires significant time to reach a final determination.
