May 26, 2024 – Kewaskum, WI – “It was just smoke rolling out. I’m like, man, somebody’s burning something. But I said it’s no hay field, and not a brush pile. It doesn’t look good.” That was Jim Leister as he went to check on his neighbors Saturday morning after seeing a significant amount of smoke to the east of his house on Highway 28.
Little did Leister know; this would not be a regular Saturday morning. “I was going with Nancy to get a cup of coffee and donut and do a little rummaging. The next thing you know, you’re pulling three people out of a burning building,” he said.
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It was just after 8 a.m. Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. “We were heading east, and we got to the Holy Trinity cemetery and I’m like, this is Wilber’s old house. I pulled up and nobody’s there. I’m like, holy crap, this isn’t good. So, I pulled over and put the flashers on to call 911,” said Leister.
Another man was there with his son and Leister said they ran up to the house and broke the window. “We saw three people inside, but we couldn’t get to the door because the smoke was so bad,” Leister said.
Shortly thereafter the man and his son left, and Leister said he was alone but couldn’t simply walk away.
“It’s surreal, you know, it’s like, what are you gonna do? I know if I leave, they’re gonna die. I just I cannot leave them for whatever reason. I just can’t. You talk about how you don’t want to become another victim. But I just I just couldn’t leave them there. I just could not,” said Leister.
After breaking the window, he worked to get the man out. “I’m pulling on John,’ he said.
He described John as someone in his 50s, diabetic, and with a heart condition. Leister also said he was larger than the width of the window.
“So, I got him out but, in the meantime, there’s just smoke. No flames but smoke and it’s wrapped around the house. Maybe every 15 seconds, I can catch a breath,” he said.
“I got him out but then in front of the house was all like a briar patch, with all these vines. I literally just pushed him out of the way.”
Leister said he worked to get a woman out next. She was holding a dog. “I’m like yelling, come on, come on, come on. We gotta go. We gotta go. We gotta go. I’m pulling her out of this window,” he said.
Then she too gets tangled in the briar patch.
An elderly woman was last. “I said we’ve gotta go and she says I’m blind. I’m blind,” said Leister. “Well, I can’t get her out and she’s not very flexible. So, I take another grab and I’m pulling on her, and I can feel a sharp glass going right in the side of my hand. I could feel the blood running and I’m like, this ain’t gonna be good. This is not good.
“So, I’m pulling on her and pulling. I said come on. We can’t play around. We got to go now come on.”
Leister tried to ask if there was anybody else in the house.
“I said, are you sure? Yep, there’s only three so then I got her out and got her to walk to the road and by that time that the fire department showed,” he said.
Leister initially declined medical attention but later went to the hospital and received 10 stitches in his hand.
“I don’t know what burned and I don’t know how it started. All I know is when we showed up you could not see the house from the road,” he said.
Leister gave thanks to God for the strength to help rescue the family.
“I just feel the Lord gave me enough of a breeze, to keep me going. The wind would kind of clear out. The Lord was on my side and helped me out. I’m very thankful,” he said.
“I feel good that I helped. Three people are still walking on earth. I had something to do with that. I’m very, very happy and it turned out really well,” he said.
On a side note, Leister is president of the Kewaskum School Board.
Below is the press release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
Photos courtesy Nancy Leister.
May 25, 2024 – Kewaskum, WI – On Saturday May 25, 2024 at approximately 7:58 am the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a house fire at 4350 Highway 28 in the Town of Kewaskum. The homeowner reported the residence was on fire and three residents were trapped inside.
The Kewaskum Fire Department was paged, and the Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Kewaskum Police Department.
Upon arrival of the Kewaskum Police Officer several area residents had stopped at the house fire and were assisting the occupants out of the residence through a window that had to be broken out.
Two of the residents were treated on scene and another was transported to an area hospital for smoke inhalation.
One of the good Samaritan’s was treated on scene for minor cuts, and another was transported to an area hospital for a laceration to his hand. The Kewaskum Officer was treated at a local hospital for smoke inhalation.
The Kewaskum Fire Department quickly upgraded the structure fire to a working still level and later to the box level.
The following fire departments responded to assist in fighting the fire; West Bend, Boltonville, Campbellsport, Kohlsville, Fillmore, Eden, Allenton, Newburg, Theresa, and Jackson. There were no reported injuries to fire personnel as a result of the fire. The American Red Cross was requested to respond to the scene to assist the family.
The Wisconsin State Patrol assisted in shutting down Highway 28 for approximately five hours to assist in firefighting efforts. The building and contents were a total loss. Additionally, the family’s dog was later discovered to have perished in the fire.
The house fire remains under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office fire investigators and Kewaskum Fire Department.
Below is the initial article published regarding the house fire in Kewaskum.
May 25, 2024 – Kewaskum, WI – UPDATE- A house at 4350 Highway 28 in Kewaskum has been deemed a total loss following an early morning fire.
Departments assisting include Boltonville, West Bend, Fillmore, Campbellsport, Allenton, Theresa, Kohlsville, and Jackson.
Tenders also trucked water to the scene.
The two people managed to get out of the building. West Bend ambulance also responded to the scene.
UPDATE – Early word is a passerby got the family out and then when the Fire Dept got there, there must been two dogs. Reportedly one got out and one perished.
The fire call was elevated to first box by Kewaskum command at 8:25 a.m.
UPDATE: Neighbors say they “heard a loud bang at 7:30 a.m.”
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
It has been a busy 24 hours for firefighters as a home in Boltonville was possibly struck by lightning last night. The home burned to the ground. No injuries were reported.
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
