Crews battle two fires on Saturday; one displaced

By Brandi Makuski

Metro Fire Crews had a busy Saturday with back-to-back fires in Stevens Point.

Firefighters were called to Service Cold Storage at 9:59 a.m., where Stevens Point Fire Capt. Dennis Zvara said the fire started during construction work.

“Some welders were working and the welding sparks caught the insulation,” Zvara said. Damage was limited to exterior metal sheeting on the building, he said, and there were no injuries.

Service Cold Storage, 5700 EM Copps Dr., is undergoing its third phase of expansion, adding 169,000 square feet to its food storage warehouse in East Park Commerce Center.

Just as crews were finishing with that scene, Zvara said, they were called to a house fire at 248 Washington Ave. in Stevens Point at 10:54 a.m.

When crews arrived the house was enveloped in smoke. One person was home at the time of the fire, Zvara said, but evacuated safely.

Crews deployed one hose and quickly extinguished the blaze, removing some insulation from inside the home, where Zvara said the owner had been remodeling. Fire and smoke damage was limited to the kitchen, he said, but the house is not inhabitable.

Zvara said the fire started while the homeowner was cooking.

Crews were on the scene until a little after 1 p.m. and no civilian injuries were reported.