July 24, 2021 – Town of Barton, WI – A pretty grim sight Saturday morning on Norman Drive in the Town of Barton as the blackened remnants of a home gutted by a Friday night explosion are still smoldering.
The smell of dank smoke hangs in the are as ashes drift past motorists who slowly drive by to take a look at the devastating damage.
Yellow police tape surrounds the property in the 3100 block of Norman Drive. A phone interview with Jeff Dreher on Friday details how he entered the home to help rescue the occupants.
Dreher said by the time he got outside, his son had already come running out.
“He was screaming… he was half on fire with his clothes on fire. I yelled at him ‘where is his dad’ and he says “he’s back in the house. I gotta go get him.”
Dreher took the lead and ran inside to get Augie. “I’m like, stay right here. I’ll go get him. And I ran in. Auggie’s eyesight…his eyes…I think he’s pretty well blind. I had to lead him out of the house. We got everybody out, but the house is done,” said Dreher.
The residence sustained severed damage due to the fire, smoke and water. The house and contents appear to be a total loss. Preliminary damage estimates were believed to exceed $300,000. Minor damage occurred to a neighboring home.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin Department of Justice State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the West Bend Fire Department.
Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office reported to the scene along with West Bend Fire Department. The call was quickly upgraded to a MABAS call. The fire department was assisted by Lifestar Ambulance, WE Energies, Jackson, Allenton, Kewaskum, Newburg, Slinger, Germantown, Boltonville, Kohlsville, Fillmore, St Lawrence, Hartford, Grafton, and Richfield Fire Departments. State Patrol assisted the Sheriff’s Office with traffic control.
Below is a photo of the neighbor’s home damaged by the heat from the fire.
Traffic to the area was shut down for nearly four hours. Neighboring residences were temporarily evacuated.
The two men injured in the fire were flighted to Milwaukee and are being treated at St. Mary’s Burn Center.
Click HERE for more photos and video from the Friday night fire.
