Two Oconomowoc grass fires pull resources from five-alarm fire

OCONOMOWOC -- Fire crews battled two grass fires in Oconomowoc Sunday afternoon, July 1st -- around the same time five-alarms were called to a fatal fire in a multiple-use building downtown. Temperatures in the 90s and sweltering sunlight didn't help fire crews -- some of whom were hospitalized Sunday.

One of the two grass fires occurred near I-94 and Highway 67 in Oconomowoc.

FOX6 News learned the fire was started by a combine that sparked near the Harley-Davidson building.

The smoke from the fire brought in crews from departments like Dousman to tend to the blaze.

A second grass fire kept firefighters busy for a time near the Target Distribution Center on Valley Road. The wind, dry conditions and sweltering heat turned some grass into kindling and fed the fire.

Normally, Oconomowoc or Town of Summit fire crews would handle a fire like this, but they were busy with the five-alarm fire downtown.

Fire crews battled heat fighting the five-alarm fire in a downtown building housing businesses and apartments, and eight firefighters were taken to the hospital. An individual living in the apartments did not make it out of the fire and was killed. That person's identity has not yet been released.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.

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