FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) -Fond du Lac firefighters hit the streets Friday, trying to prevent a tragedy like a house fire that killed three people Thursday morning.
Crews were not fighting fires but, instead, making sure neighbors of the deadly fire are prepared in case it happens to them.
“Unfortunately, today is a grim reminder to all of us the dangers that fires possess, and fires are very nondiscriminatory; they can strike anyone of us, any day,” Fire Chief of Fond du Lac Fire Rescue Peter O’Leary said Thursday.
But after a long, tragic day in Fond du Lac, firefighters put boots on the ground again.
“What we try to do is hit two or three blocks around the fire scene,” said Division Chief of Fire Prevention at Fond du Lac Fire Troy Haase. “Of course, because of the fire, it draws attention to the situation, so what we try to do is get into every home, if we can.”
Haase says, the reason they canvass the area the very next day is because the visible and significant damage to the property is a stark reminder of why fire safety, and having working smoke detectors are so important.
“Especially with this situation, where we lost life,” he said. “This really opens up people’s eyes and, I mean, even at the fire station we’ve had them already calling for smoke detectors.”
Firefighters go door-to-door, hoping to prevent another tragedy.
They ask residents questions about their fire alarms, detectors, and go over general fire safety and prevention.
“Really, our goal is to get inside to do a fire safety inspection,” Haase said. “The key thing is just to make sure they have working smoke detectors.”
And even if residents aren’t home, they’ll still know firefighters stopped by, with a friendly reminder they leave hanging on doors.
“It also has a checklist, where they can test and check their smoke alarms each month, so it does give them that information, whether we get inside or not,” said Haase.
Haase says this gets people thinking about being prepared before it’s too late.
“Better off to come in now and check things out, and make sure everything’s working, than in a situation, where we have to come, you know, in an emergency,” he said.
Fond du Lac’s fire chief says autopsies of the victims should be completed Friday.
The cause is still under investigation, but firefighters don’t think it was intentional.
