Two Metro Fire calls on Wednesday

By Brandi Makuski

Metro Fire crews were called out for two fires on Wednesday.

Fire departments from Stevens Point, Plover, and Hull were first dispatched to 2308 Jefferson St. at 10:07 a.m. when a caller reported a structure fire. When the first unit responded to the scene, they found a basket of laundry was on fire, not the home.

Stevens Point Battalion Chief Victor Kedrowski said no one was injured but the fire is still under investigation.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 30, Metro crews were called to KFC, 317 Division St., when a caller reported smoke inside the building.

The restaurant was vacated when fire crews arrived on the scene. Kedrowski said the smoke was likely caused by a discarded cigarette that ignited some debris in the expansion joint between the sidewalk and a back door to the building.

At both scenes, Stevens Point crews were present for less than 20 minutes. Crews from Plover and Hull were canceled before they arrived.

“We canceled Metro [Fire] because those resources were not needed,” Kedrowski said. “When we show up on a scene, we evaluate if we need more personnel, or if we are able to mitigate the problem right away. In both cases today, we were able to mitigate.”

A Metro Fire response is standard procedure anytime smoke and/or fire is reported in a structure. Kedrowski said the automatic joint response helps crews provide the highest level of service during emergencies.