FORT ATKINSON (WKOW) — A fire at a warehouse is still burning in Ft. Atkinson after it ignited Tuesday afternoon.
In a news conference Wednesday, Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said crews used 5,000 gallons of water per minute to douse the flames, and nearly a million gallons were used in total. After concerns about the city's water supply, Rausch says the levels are back to near-normal and no residents were ever without water. The fire chief also says crews will continue to use minimal amounts of water so they don't add to the pollution that's already in the runoff.
48 different departments responded Tuesday, with a total of nearly 250 firefighters. Rausch says one firefighter from Ft. Atkinson was cut and taken to UW Madison for surgery. He is expected to be okay but will need some recovery time. Two other crew members were treated for heat-related injuries.
Because so many Ft. Atkinson crew members are volunteers, staff say they may need to focus on hiring more paid firefighters in the future.
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