Nine departments respond to Pine Lake structure fire

Firefighters from nine local departments responded to a structure fire Wednesday afternoon on Hildy Lane in the Town of Pine Lake.

 “A large plume of black smoke could be seen over Boom Lake prompting several fire department officers to try and locate (the) fire before (the) initial page,” Pine Lake Fire and Rescue officials wrote in a report on the fire posted to the department’s Facebook page. 

Fire department officers “immediately requested page for department and automatic aid from (the) Town of Pelican,” the post continues. “First Fire Dept. arriving officer upgraded (the) response to a MABAS call after reporting a large pole shed with living quarters on fire. Pine Lake Truck 1 arrived on scene initiating fire attack. With (the) length of (the) driveway command had Rhinelander’s Engine set up to draft from the road and supply Truck 1 with water.”

“This fire was upgraded to a 2nd alarm requesting additional engines for manpower. A second water supply was set up with the use of a porta pump set up on the lake supplying water to Truck 1. With the steel roof failing, firefighters were limited to defensive operations. The aerial master stream was utilized to knock the roof down and back wall giving firefighters entry to the structure to fully extinguish the remaining hot spots,” the post reads.

In addition to the Pine Lake Fire Department, firefighters from Pelican, Rhinelander, Newbold, Crescent, Three Lakes, Sugar Camp, Monico and Woodruff responded to the scene.

The Oneida County Sheriff's Department and Ambulance, along with WPS, also responded to the call.

No injuries were reported as the owner, Jason Riechert, was at work when the fire broke out.

Riechert noted that his family has owned property in this part of Pine Lake since the 1960s and Hildy Lane is named after his grandmother. He said his neighbors called him at work — Wednesday was his first day at a new job — to let him know his home was on fire. 

As he watched the firefighters work, he noted that a number of neighbors had already reached out to offer assistance as he recovers. In addition to living quarters, the building also included a workshop, he said, noting that he was unsure of the fate of his tools.

The Facebook post does not address the cause of the fire and Riechert said he was unsure how it started. He did note there was a wood stove inside the structure.

He stressed that he was grateful for the Pine Lake Fire Department’s fast response and that no one was hurt.

“Life throws you curveballs,” he said.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].