Refugees, Emergency Workers Outlasted Wildfire

Emergency management and fire officials faced the worst case scenario on Tuesday as the Germann Road Fire took on a life of its own.

The fire is the worst northern Wisconsin has seen in decades, with more than 50 people forced from their homes. Planning, quick thinking and a community came to the aid of those in need.

A fire that spans two counties, burning more than 9,000 acres, is the kind of scenario that will keep emergency responders awake at night. Bayfield County Emergency Management Director Jan Victorson says the Germann Road Fire is the kind they train for.

“I don’t know that it got as bad as some of the scenarios that we’ve practiced for – and I’m grateful for that! – but it’s the building of the partnerships and knowing that we can bring fire departments in from [other] counties in order to make this all work.”

In the end, inter-department cooperation did, indeed, “all work.” About 30 fire departments fought the blaze as it burned into Wednesday morning, with 14 law enforcement agencies responding. They closed off roads. They evacuated people from their homes. When the winds shifted and the fire changed course, so did they. Jim Crandall is president of the Drummond School Board. He took a call from Victorson, who was looking for a shelter to house evacuees.

“She said, ‘Can I have permission and how do we get into the school?’ So I called one of the teachers that lives next door and asked her if she’d come over and unlock the school and I said I’d be in. Well, that was about 8, 8:30, and, of course, then we all converged. Then, it began.”

It was the beginning, at least, for those like Susan Allerheiligan. She helped her parents to the school when they got the call to evacuate Tuesday evening.

“It’s very scary when you see it on TV and it’s scarier to be here. But, we were very well taken care of and people updated us on what was happening to the best of their knowledge.”

The Northland Chapter of the American Red Cross stepped in, setting up cots, bringing people blankets and coffee. Volunteer Diane Dunder of Superior says many are overwhelmed and some struggling with the loss of their homes.

“That’s when we also bring in our mental health people and our health services. There’s a minister here. People from the community come in. The kids at the school have been fantastic. Some of them have graduated. They were here at two o’clock this morning and they came back at 5:30 this morning and they’re still helping us out.”

Many slept little, if at all. The team organizing emergency response followed the fire’s movement into the early morning hours Wednesday. DNR Fire Information Officer Neil Kephart updated evacuees the same morning.

“I’m not going to ask you what kind of night you had, because I can kind of guess that and we sympathize with you as well.”

More fire departments were called to relieve firefighters on the job for 14-to-15 hour stretches. At least 47 buildings were lost, but 77 more were saved. Laurene Peterson is waiting for word on whether her home on Ellison Lake is among those still standing, but she says it’s a blessing that no one was hurt.

“The firemen are all safe and that’s always scary, because they rush in while we rush out to try to save our homes. That’s truly remarkable and wonderful.”

For that, Douglas County Emergency Management Director Keith Kesler is also grateful.

“This is a pretty good-sized fire and the fact that it burned into the dark with no injuries and no accidents is a really good thing.”

As of Wednesday evening, some roads were being opened and people were able to return to their homes as fire officials and emergency responders hoped the line – and their luck – would hold.