Home damaged extensively by fire in Slinger, homeowner unaware of what happened

SLINGER -- A house caught fire in Slinger while the homeowner was out of town. That person has no idea the home burned Sunday night, Nov. 24.

Family members are preparing to deliver devastating news to the owner of the home at Washington and Oak in Slinger. According to loved ones, 83-year-old Gilbert Strupp was 300 miles away deer hunting when his home caught fire on Sunday. His son, Ronald, watched in disbelief Sunday night.

"I never realized that it started that quick. It never went out," Ronald Strupp said. "It's something that shouldn't happen. Something burning in the back. I didn't know what was going on."

Slinger police tell FOX6 News the home was evacuated before crews arrived. The Slinger Fire Department requested mutual aid from ten other departments -- including West Bend and Germantown. There were no reported injuries.

Slinger police and the Washington County Sheriff's Office are investigating the cause of the fire. It is undetermined as of now, but there is nothing suspicious about the fire.

The Strupp family business is located right next door. The long line of fire trucks cleared from Highway 175 by midnight.

FOX6 News spoke with multiple members of the Strupp family on Monday. They declined to speak with us on camera. The police and fire department also did not respond to requests for an interview.