Waupun Fire Department
2:35AM January 21st, 2024
Waupun Fire Chief BJ DeMaa
WAUPUN — At 8:23 p.m. on Saturday, January 20, Waupun Fire Crews responded to 502 S. West Street in the City of Waupun for a fire in a garage. Upon arrival, a vehicle was found burning in the attached garage and it had started spreading to the rest of the structure. Multiple fire extinguishers had been discharged to no avail. First arriving crews confirmed everyone was out of the house and quickly knocked down the fire in the garage before making their way into the home to check for fire extension. Crews did find fire in the attic and that was quickly extinguished as well. Personnel were on scene for 3 hours working on fire suppression and overhaul.
The property is owned by Doug and Deb Darnick. There are no initial damage estimates at this time however the home did sustain significant fire damage to the garage and much of the attic along with smoke damage throughout. The house is uninhabitable and 2 people are currently displaced. No firefighters or individuals at the scene were hurt during the incident. The fire investigation in ongoing however it is believed that the fire originated in the vehicle’s engine compartment.
Agencies assisting at this evening’s call included: Alto FD, Brandon-Fairwater FD, Waupun First Responders, Lifestar Ambulance, Waupun Police Department, Waupun Utilities, and Alliant Energy. A special thanks goes out to the Fond du Lac County Center for their assistance as well. Our thoughts go out to the property owner!
Mayor of Waupun Rohn Bishop posted the following the night of the fire:
“During tonight’s Packers game, Waupun had a pretty significant garage fire. Luckily, everyone and pets, are okay, but it was really cold. It was interesting to see our volunteer firefighters out in the cold, missing the game, doing what they do. Thank you to our firefighters for all they do to keep Waupun a great place to live!”
A video of the firefighter crews was attached to Mayor Bishop’s post.
