MERRILLAN, Wis. – Nobody was home except the family pet when a rural Merrillan house went up in flames. The pet died. Fire Chief Wayne Lunderville said the attic of the single-floor house was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived about 9:30 p.m. The garage was already gone. Fire crews responded also from Alma Center, Black River Falls, Hatfield and Hixton. Some remained until 3:15 a.m. Some valuables were retrieved, but the house was a total loss, Lunderville said. He was unsure of the cause.
Frigid firefighting. Temperature 9 below. Image: Merrillan Fire Department