No one was injured, but at least one cat died in a garage fire that happened at 9:48 p.m. Friday night in Caledonia.
A neighbor called the Racine County Joint Dispatch Center called 911 to report a garage fire at 7024 Douglas Ave. When firefighters arrived, they found that the garage was fully engulfed in flames. But crews were able to keep the fire from spreading to the home, said Battalion Chief Dale Rozina.
The garage wasn’t directly attached to the home, but it was connected by a breezeway. A huge column of smoke also entered the home, which caused high carbon dioxide levels.
“Crews made a really good stop and kept the fire contained to the garage area…” he said. “No one was home at the time, but when we got there all indications pointed to people being home. So we conducted a search of the home as well. But we were able to verify later that they were in Milwaukee.”
Several cats were found inside the home, but at least one had died after being exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide from the smoke.
“I don’t know how many died exactly, but I do know that some were found alive,” Rozina said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. The estimated loss is $90,000.
The Caledonia Fire Department does have a smoke detector installation program for Caledonia residents. Property owners can have up to three smoke alarms installed for free in their homes. For more information, please call the Caledonia Fire Department at (262) 835-2050.