Utility pole fires from Kenosha to Appleton knock out power for 5,000 We Energies customers

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN -- Utility pole fires from Kenosha to Appleton knocked out power to 5,000 We Energies customers on Wednesday, January 10th.

According to We Energies, the combination of fog mixed with the abundant amount of road salt on area roadways sparked 12 utility pole fires. Officials say the combination can cause the electrical lines to heat up -- sparking a fire.

The We Energies Power Outage Map, as of about 12:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10, was showing more than 700 without power in the Milwaukee area.

Anyone can monitor the outages in southeast Wisconsin with the We Energies Outage Map. Officials say that map updates every 15 minutes.