DE PERE, WI (WTAQ) – De Pere Fire & Rescue crews dispatched to a duplex fire Thursday afternoon. The call came in just before 5:30 at 749 Elm Street.
When firefighters arrived on scene, they found smoke and charring on the upper unit.
All occupants had self-evacuated and the blaze was quickly extinguished.
Officials say a passerby had observed the smoke and stopped to alert the residents who were inside asleep at the time of the fire. They say, if it wasn’t for the quick and heroic actions of the female passerby, the situation may have been much worse.
After an investigation was completed, it was determined that the cause of the fire was caused by the careless use of smoking materials.
The estimated damage to the structure is approximately $5,000.
