Central Wisconsin Airport fire crews undergo fire training in Mosinee

PHOTO: Airport fire crews at Central Wisconsin Airport hit the tarmac Thursday morning for annual training sessions. Though airplanes have been created to be safe experiences for passengers, in the event something goes wrong, the crews on the ground need to be ready. Communication, hand-eye coordination, and efficiency were among the top skills prioritized, especially since fires or crashes can happen at any time. "Inclement weather does add to the response, it does add to how we fight fire with it. The more you bleed in training, the less you bleed in war, and the more we're able to give them a tougher environment, the easier it'll be in case of a real life emergency," said Louis Kurtz, the owner of ARFF Specialists, the company that guides the training sessions, which is based in northern Minnesota.
WAOW-TV ABC 9 Wausau

Epic explosion at this Sheboygan plant in 1982 injured 9; Smoke reportedly could be seen in Milwaukee

PHOTOS: The city has always been known for its furniture industry. On April 19, 1982, an epic explosion at the Thonet plant, sparked by sawdust, leveled the plant. The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center said the boiler used to fire the dry kilns and supply heat throughout the plant was, at times, natural gas fired. But, at other times, the gas was shut down and the boiler was converted to using either sawdust or wood scrap as a fuel source. A perfect storm for an explosion and the ensuing fire was created. Negative back pressure sucked flames into the air system of the building and traveled quickly to all parts of the complex. Employees said the explosion shook the whole place. It was reported that the inferno was like a big wind, like a tornado, nearly blowing them out of the doors of the plant. Windows on the first floor were shattered.
Sheboygan Press - Metered Site

Construction continues on the park named for a fallen Appleton firefighter

VIDEO: Five years ago, a hero fell in the line of duty. On the anniversary of that tragedy, we remember Mitch Lundgaard. In 2019, the 36-year-old responded to a medical call at the Valley Transit Center. He helped administer Narcan to a man suffering an overdose. That man then turned his gun on first responders. Lundgaard was posthumously promoted to driver-engineer. Now, we’re learning how the community continues to mark his sacrifice. A park is named in honor of Mitch Lundgaard, and on Wednesday, construction work continues on the first phase, which includes a firefighter theme. The park is right next to the fire station Mitch Lundgaard once worked at, on Lightning Drive, and on this fifth anniversary of his death, it’s visibly coming together.
WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Aaron Lipski Is Redefining the Role

The tipping point, according to Aaron Lipski, was the Molson Coors shooting. On Feb. 26, 2020, Lipski, then assistant chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department, was in a Wauwatosa fire station, meeting with firefighters from around the region in preparation for the Democratic National Convention, when a radio on one of their belts went off. Lipski heard the words “active shooter,” checked his phone, and knew he had to get out of that meeting immediately. A three-minute drive down State Street, sirens blaring, and he was on the scene at the brewery headquarters, where an employee had just opened fire, killing five of his co-workers and then himself. “The tragedy just unfolds in front of your eyes,” Lipski remembers. That night, after hours on the scene with the police and FBI, he started to drive home and realized that he was shaking.
Milwaukee Magazine

Maine Elementary students get ride to school in fire truck

PHOTO: The ride to school looked quite a bit different for a number of Maine Elementary School students Wednesday. One student from each grade K-5 were picked to get picked up and taken to school in a Maine fire truck. It was part of their "Fired Up for Reading" challenge. For every 30 minutes students read outside of school, they earned a ticket. Then a winner was picked from each grade. For the students that were picked, it's a ride they won't soon forget. "The fire truck it was pretty cool. You could see all the electronics and everything that they used," said 5th grader Lydia Sklitzky. "It was pretty cool, but all of the buttons and levers they use looked pretty confusing," said 2nd grader Henry Lodahl. The students were brought back to the Maine fire house, where they ate breakfast provided by REI.
WAOW-TV ABC 9 Wausau

No injuries in La Crosse house fire

It took more than two hours for La Crosse firefighters to put a fire out and overhaul a south side residence to make sure the flames were completely out. Chief Blane Neher said crews were sent to the home at 1502 10th St. South shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Heavy smoke and fire were coming from the back of the home when firefighters arrived. In a statement, Chief Neher said crews worked extremely hard to extinguish the fire. More time was spent checking the home, or overhauling the residence, to make sure the fire was contained. All of the people living in the home were accounted for. No injuries were reported. The home had extensive fire and smoke damage. Investigators are working to determine what led to the fire.
WXOW-TV ABC 19 La Crosse