BONDUEL — Village officials are awaiting information from the state fire marshal and their insurance company regarding a fire early Monday morning that destroyed a public works garage.
A resident reported an explosion at 12:56 a.m. at the public works building on First Street. Fire chief Robbie Woldt said his wife looked out the window when he received the page and saw flames shooting out of the building.
He and two other firefighters were on scene Monday morning looking for evidence that would show the building had been secure at the time of the fire. He said they had not seen any footprints in the snow near the building when they arrived, however.
About 36 firefighters from Bonduel and Navarino-Lessor fire departments responded to the blaze. The cold didn’t hamper firefighting efforts, but a strong wind out of the west blew flames halfway into the street, Woldt said.
Grunewald Excavating brought in a back hoe to move the metal siding out of the way so firefighters could get to the burning wood beneath.
The garage was a total loss as were a back hoe, lawn mower, pick up truck, recycling trailer, utility trailer and street sweeper inside. The building had electrical power but was not heated or insulated and had a gravel floor.
The Sheriff’s Department notified Public Works director Steve Berndt, who was at the scene all night and was compiling late Monday morning an inventory of the building’s contents for insurance.
“We had a lot of things stored in there,” Berndt said.
The fire was added to the meeting agenda village board’s Municipal Operation Committee, which meets today at 6:30 p.m. in Village Hall.
Berndt said they would have to wait for the fire inspector’s report and information from their insurance company before deciding their next move.
“When we get all that information together, we will decide how to proceed,” Berndt said during a quick stop at village hall Monday.
He did not expect to have information in time for the village board 2008 budget hearing on Wednesday.
They will be replacing some parts and supplies that had been in the building right away.
He said they expect to replace the building, which he estimated was 30 years old, but was not sure if a new building will be on the same site or another location in the village.
