Garage And Brush Fire Overnight

Here is the update from Fire Chief Joe Knitter on the fire Saturday morning on and near Marquette Avenue …

At 4:48AM, SMFD was dispatched to a possible brush fire on the lake bank at the end of Menomonee Avenue at Lake Shore Blvd.  While responding, the SMFD engine was notified by Dispatch of a garage fire in the alley behind 509 Marquette Avenue.  The SMFD engine re-directed to that fire and encountered a detached one-car garage fully involved in fire.  While responding from home, I then responded to investigate the brush fire call and discovered a large area of brush burning down the bank and spreading rapidly due to the winds coming off the lake.  I requested a Cudahy engine that was responding to the garage fire to respond to my location and had them extinguish the fire on the lake bank.  An Oak Creek engine was directed to staff our station during these fires.

Investigators remain on the scene at the garage fire at this time.  However, due to the destruction, identifying a positive cause will be very difficult.  No injuries were reported. The garage and its contents are a total loss.  In addition, the vinyl siding on the house at 509 Marquette, the garage at 511 Marquette and the garage across the alley at 510 Montana Avenue suffered damage from radiant heat.