April 25, 2023 – West Bend, WI – It was early morning September 29, 2022, when seven area fire departments responded to a devastating fire at 1100 N. Main Street in West Bend, WI.
There was frost on the ground at 1:30 a.m. and white smoke billowed from the building at the corner of N. Main Street and Park Avenue. Flashes of red lights bounced off the trees and neighboring buildings and the dense smell of smoke filled the air.
Across the United States to the west in Montana, Dr. Michael Bardenwerper, the owner of the building and Advanced Focus Eye Health Care, had just completed four days of hiking Glacier National Park with his wife on a celebration of their 10-year anniversary.
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“We didn’t have the kids and completed 55 miles of hiking,” said Bardenwerper. “We never had that much time together consecutively since we had our children. With three days left on my trip is when I got the news of the building.”
Bardenwerper was on an Indian reservation on the east side of Glacier National Park. “It was pretty surreal, seeing your news, seeing your videos, talking to what felt like everybody in the city and yet not having closure.
“I had to ask, do I need to get home and everyone’s like, no, enjoy the rest of your trip. There’s nothing you can do.”
Sadly, said Bardenwerper, he had “nothing but nightmares and a lack of sleep” until he returned home. “I went from this high with my wife, accomplishing one of the pinnacle hikes the day before and then woke up to that news in the pitch dark in the morning and it was a pretty high-low moment.”
After more than five months, awaiting the final determination of an investigation into the cause of the fire, Bardenwerper is hit with another one-two punch.
“They said they had a meeting about it, and they literally just phrase it as both insurances have decided to withdraw their investigation,” he said. “So that, basically I can proceed but no determination of cause will be found.”
Putting it mildly, Bardenwerper felt crushed, but there was more bad news ahead.
Two renters were not going to return including Farmers Insurance and Hearing Life. The new building design would not include space for a restaurant, and there was one more hit.
“Ultimately I’m left with the decision of what can I afford, and the reality is the insurance total limit does not cover the entirety of the building by a few $100,000,” he said. “So, I’m told by my accountant and basically everyone around me that I have no choice but to basically maintain what is still standing.”
It was not the news Bardenwerper had been waiting and waiting and waiting for.
“I can only pray there is no further delay particularly given that I am more so remodeling my existing space and not truly building anything new; only fixing what is still standing,” he said.
Bardenwerper’s plans include moving his Advanced Focus Eye Health Care to take over the previous Farmers Insurance suite. “I will then rent out the space previously occupied by Hearing Life,” he said. “It is sad to even look at a drawing that doesn’t include the Braising Pan. I can only imagine the apparent void mentally and physically when it is filled in as proposed.”
Cleanup of the site is expected to begin this week as gas is shut off.
Bardenwerper called Braising Pan restaurant owner Heather Ford. “Her own insurance had not yet told her that their investigation was withdrawn,” he said. “So, she got the shocking news about that, in addition to the fact the building policy is short of replacing everything in its entirety. So, it’s been a pretty horrible situation, to be honest.”
During the past few months Bardenwerper operated out of a space on Highway 60 in Jackson. He praised his clients for making the drive and sticking with him.
Moving forward, Bardenwerper worked with American Companies on a design that will go before the Plan Commission on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
“Basically, we’re going to remove some of the dormers, put up new gray siding, have black colored shingles, and the peak will be painted the same black trim,” he said.
“All along I’ve simply wanted to return ‘home’ asap,” said Bardenwerper. “It has been a long-drawn-out process that has at times, seemingly lacked some basic logic and a feeling of doing what is just the right thing. I never like to be a part of those situations when I have a choice and it has been difficult and frustrating to be a part of thus far. I’m hoping the remaining steps to getting home’ are smooth sailing.”
Below is the original story from September 29, 2022.
The call came in just after 1:14 a.m. and Ford rushed to her restaurant on the corner of Park Avenue in West Bend. Her employees responded as well, with children in tow as they were met by a brutal picture of flames, fire, smoke, and despair.
“We closed at 2 p.m. on Wednesday,” said Ford. “We know the fire was in two parts of the restaurant and the FD said this was not an easy task because it was a well-constructed building with cement block, nooks and crannies, and double walls.”
Ford moved into the building about 12 years ago on October 10, 2010.
“I want to thank every firefighter who came and worked tirelessly for four hours straight,” she said. “They did all they could do.
“The support from the community has been overwhelming… I don’t know what anyone can do. I haven’t processed that myself yet.”
West Bend Fire Department Captain Kenny Asselin said the initial call came from the cleaning person who is on scene to clean the restaurant.
The caller evacuated the building and West Bend Fire Department was on scene within six minutes of receiving the call.
Click HERE to watch firefighters battle the fire at Braising Pan
Jackson Fire Department also responded with a fire engine and chief officer.
West Bend fire fighters made an interior attack on the fire in the basement, conditions rapidly deteriorated and forced firefighters to exit the building and fight the fire from the exterior.
At 1:38 a.m. the alarm was upgraded to the box level; fire fighters from five departments responded including Allenton, Fillmore, Grafton, Kewaskum, Newburg, and Slinger.
The department of public works brought in a backhoe to tear down the structure to gain access to the areas still burning.
There is damage to the three adjoining units in the building and the restaurant area is a total loss. The building did not have a fire sprinkler system. The fire is under investigation by the West Bend Fire Department in West Bend Police.
Will Braising Pan open somewhere else? Where did the cooks and waitresses go? It was the best fish fry in West Bend and we really really miss it.