VIDEO: A father and two young children managed to escape a large fire that consumed their Portage home Wednesday morning.
Heavy smoke and flames could still be seen more than a half-hour after firefighters were first called to this house, in the 900 block of W. Wisconsin Steet, shortly after 9 a.m. Multiple other fire departments were called in to assist.
After getting himself and the kids to safety, the father went back into the home to try to save the family, Police Chief Mark Becker said. The heat from the blaze forced him out before he could rescue their pet, however the dog got out on its own and was corralled by neighbors.
The father, whose name has not been released, was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital to be checked out for smoke inhalation. Becker noted his hair was singed by the fire from his attempt to find the dog.