APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Fire crews from several Fox Valley fire departments were working to fight a smoky fire in downtown Appleton.
The building is Author’s Kitchen and Bar at 201 North Appleton Street, at the intersection with West Washington Street.
The blaze presented firefighters with a number of obstacles.
“As we began to fight that fire we realized that it was a natural gas-fueled fire, which is very dangerous for our firefighters,” says Joe Strauss, Appleton Fire Department Battalion Chief. “So we were in a situation where the fire began to get into the walls [and] we needed to back out and do a defensive operation.”
Firefighters were called to the building about 2:15 Wednesday morning.
The fire continues to burn hours after crews arrived and at some point, the walls may have to be pulled apart to get at areas where the material is still burning.
“We haven’t been able to extinguish [the] fire completely it’s still burning in [the] middle building where we can’t get at it,” says Appleton Battalion Fire Chief Ethan Kroll.
Crews suspect that natural gas was involved in starting the fire, but can’t say for sure how it started.
According to Kroll, the adjoining business, Apollon, did not have any fire or heat damage but didn’t escape the incident totally unscathed.
“There is water damage in the basement of [the] adjoining building, there was some smoke that got into it,” he says.
Roads are temporarily closed in the area of the restaurant.
To keep pedestrians safe a temporary walkway has been created.
There are apartments above the business and the fire was initially found on the second floor of the building.
Eight people living in the apartments were safely evacuated.
“The owner of the fire building, was able to secure lodging for tenants at the Paper Valley Hotel,” explains Kroll.
The Red Cross and Salvation Army helped to find hotels for the displaced tenants.
“I first think about the people, the victims, the fact that they lost everything, the building was a complete wreck,” says Salvation Army Chaplain Bill Barwis.
The Salvation Army is providing hotels for those that still need it and were called in around 5:30 a.m. to bring food and coffee to residents and first responders.
The organization will provide either rent or security deposit assistance to the displaced tenants, along with clothing and food.
