TOMAH, Wis. (WKBT) — Careless use of smoking material is to blame for a fire Saturday night at a community-based residential facility, according to the Tomah Fire Department.
The fire department was called to the facility in the 100 block of East Council Street around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Those first on scene said that heavy fire was coming from the northwest side and was growing quickly.
The Tomah Police Department was able to evacuate residents to safety. No injuries were reported. Tomah called in mutual aid from both Oakdale and Fort McCoy.
Forty-one responders were on scene. The fire took several hours to contain, according to officials. The City of Tomah salted the area due to cold weather quickly freezing the water used for fire suppression.
The Tomah Fire Department says the cause was unintentional and occurred from careless use of smoking materials. The building suffered significant fire and water damage.
Wisconsin DHS defines a community-based residential facility as “a place where 5 or more unrelated people live together in a community setting. Services provided include room and board, supervision, support services, and may include up to 3 hours of nursing care per week.”
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