This property in the Shawano County town of Maple Grove, seen Oct. 18, 2022, is the location of a bonfire explosion that injured dozens of current and former Pulaski High School students four days earlier.
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The first of three men has responded to a civil lawsuit in connection with a bonfire explosion near Pulaski, admitting he was asked to help move a container of fuel near the fire – but denying any other allegations.
Benjamin Van Asten; Isaac Nelson and his parents; Brady McAllister and his father; and Brandon Brzeczkowski filed separate civil lawsuits last month against the same three defendants: Allan Eron, Samuel Armstrong and Tyler Frisch. They were some of those injured when a partially filled drum of diesel and gasoline was tossed on to a fire at a home in the town of Maple Grove on Oct. 14, 2022, causing an explosion.
In four similar but separately filed responses, Frisch is the first of three to reply to the suits. In each, as a response to the complaint, Frisch and his insurance company “admit Tyler Frisch was asked to assist with moving a plastic container of fuel near a bonfire. As to all remaining allegations, lack knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief, and so deny and leave plaintiff to his proof.”
The responses list several affirmative defenses for Frisch, including: “these answering defendants assert plaintiff’s alleged damages may have been the direct and proximate results of acts or omissions of third parties or entities, for which defendants cannot be held liable,” and “these answering defendants assert plaintiff may have failed to exercise due care for his safety and that said failure caused his injuries.”
The replies ask for the case to be dismissed, or for a jury trial.
Eron and Armstrong have not formally replied to the suits.
No court dates are currently scheduled.
Only Armstrong faces charges in adult criminal court, with a plea hearing scheduled for Feb. 5.
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to the Cedar Drive address in Maple Grove on Oct. 14, 20222, after multiple teens were admitted to local hospitals after the explosion.
When police talked to Armstrong, he said he had been asking someone who lives at the house “all night to throw the barrel in the fire and finally at approximately 10:50 pm, (that person) told him to “just do it.”
“After the barrel was thrown onto the fire, it was approximately half a second and the fire began shooting out. (Armstrong) indicated he backed away from the firepit and then went over to put the fire out that was burning VICTIM #4,” the complaint states.
After the fire was out, several people assaulted Armstrong, he said.
“Armstrong was asked about his alcohol consumption. He stated he consumed approximately 6 drinks. He indicated he was drinking Bush (sic) Light,” the complaint states.
The complaint then details accounts from some of the others at the party.
“Upon (another teen) dropping the drum, Samuel Armstrong took his end of the drum and threw it into the flames of the fire. Instantaneously, I felt a really high volume of heat on my face and observed a very large eruption of flame all around me. I then observed multiple people running from the area of the fire. Multiple people were actively burning,” one witness is quoted as saying.
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department has said at least 17 teenagers suffered burn injuries out of about 60 that were at the bonfire.
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