Firefighters battle blaze, freezing conditions at towing business in Town of Waukesha

TOWN OF WAUKESHA (WITI) --Several departments responded to a fully-engulfed fire at a towing business in the Town of Waukesha early Thursday morning, January 8th.

The fire broke out at Complete Towing and Recovery, located on Rockwood Circle.  The business is destroyed, but the community came together, and through it all firefighters battled extremely cold temperatures.

A thick cloud of smoke and fire blew out of the business. Ken Walter could see it from his home.

"There was a lot of flames shooting out of the building," said Walter.

When Walter realized it was his friend's business burning, his heart sunk.

"It’s his livelihood," he said.

Firefighters responded to Complete Towing & Recovery after a passerby called it in.  Luckily there were no victims, but battling the fire in sub-zero temperatures was no easy task.

"We are getting ice build-up. We are getting trucks frozen up, hose lines are freezing," said Town of Waukesha Fire Chief, Dan Buchholtz.

A FOX6 News crew witnessed a firefighter slip and fall. He got right back up, and wasn’t hurt, but for that reason  firefighters had salt trucks come out to help get rid of some of the ice.

"It is slowing operations down tremendously. It is hindering us," said Chief Buchholtz.

More than five different departments responded so that firefighters could work in short shifts, and keep warm.

Many of the firefighters are volunteers, and in this tight-knit community, everyone sticks together. Walter and his wife wanted to help.

"My wife made a couple pots of coffee and brought them out for the guys," said Walter.

As for the man who just lost his business, friends and neighbors will be there for him too.

"Wherever I can help. In the Town of Waukesha we are all neighbors out here, and we help each other any way we can," said Walter.

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire.





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