Fire On 1st Street Displaces Families In Duplex

An early morning fire displaced two families living in a duplex at 264 East 1st Street in Fond du Lac. Fire Chief Peter O’Leary says they got the call at 1:40 a.m. When firefighters arrived the fire was well involved, but crews were able to knock down the bulk of the flames and verify no one was inside. Chief O’Leary says the fire got into the void spaces in the attic and roof area, but they were able to extinguish it. He says it was made more difficult when a power line to the home fell after melting away essentially creating a live wire to deal with. That created a power outage for several homes in the block. O’Leary says the blaze rendered the home un-inhabitable. The American Red Cross is working with the residents of the duplex to find other shelter. He says one firefighter may have suffered a minor back injury, but otherwise no one else was injured. Improperly discarded smoking materials may have been the cause of the fire. Fond du Lac Fire Department photos.