March 20, 2025 – Hartford, WI – At approximately 9 a.m. on March 20, 2025, Hartford Fire & Rescue responded to E. Jackson Street for the report of heavy black smoke coming from a restaurant.
The first arriving command vehicle found a two-story multi-occupancy building with smoke coming from the front door of the restaurant. Hartford Police Department officers along with the fire command unit rapidly searched all three floors of the building, removing a disoriented male from the basement, which was on fire, and removing two residents from the apartments on the second floor who were sleeping.
A FST extinguishment device was also deployed into the basement fire. A rapid-fire attack was initiated by the first arriving fire engine, advancing fire hose to the basement to begin extinguishing the fire, and connecting to a fire hydrant on Mill Street.
Additional arriving crews made entry to complete the search all three levels of the building to assure that no other occupants were inside. Additional crews worked to vent the building to remove dangerous fire gases, heat, and smoke.
EMS crews provided medical care to the male removed from the basement, who after initial treatment on scene, refused any further care or transportation.
Crews provided habilitation efforts to the firefighters and accountability of units on scene. No fire rescue personnel were injured in this incident.
Occupants from the apartments were temporarily displaced by the fire but were later able to return to their homes.
Assistance was provided from Hartford Electric & Water Utilities and WE Energies who shut off the electric, water, and gas utilities. Utilites were later restored to the 2nd floor apartments. Mutual aid assistance was provided through MABAS at the Working Still level by Slinger Fire Department, St. Lawrence Fire Company, and Lifestar Ambulance.
The second floor living spaces and first floor offices sustained minimal smoke infiltration due to the rapid attack and fire extinguishment by personnel. The first floor restaurant sustained minimal smoke damage, and the basement below the restaurant sustained moderate fire and smoke damage in one half of the area.
A fire investigator from Hartford Fire & Rescue along with a detective from Hartford Police Department conducted an origin and cause fire investigation. The cause of the fire stemmed from a natural gas fired water heater which was malfunctioning just before the fire.