BRIGHTON, Wis.– A fast-moving fire destroyed a home in the town of Brighton Thursday afternoon, but no injuries were reported. Officials say the blaze likely started with lithium-ion batteries charging inside the residence.
Crews were dispatched just after 1:00 p.m. to a home near 18th Street and 240th Avenue. When firefighters arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames.
“The ​structure ​sits ​back ​from ​the ​road ​some ​400ft ​in ​a ​heavily ​wooded ​lot ​that ​you ​can’t ​even ​see ​the ​house ​from ​the ​road,” Kansasville Fire Chief Ron Molnar tells WTMJ.
“So ​when ​they ​arrived, ​the ​structure ​was ​fully ​engulfed ​and ​​it ​wasn’t ​safe ​to ​enter ​because ​there ​was ​collapse ​of ​the ​vaulted ​ceiling ​inside. ​ ​So ​there ​was ​an ​exterior. ​It ​was ​called ​a ​defensive ​attack ​because ​of ​the ​challenges ​in ​a ​rural ​area ​like ​that. ​The ​size ​of ​the ​structure ​was ​nearly ​4,000 ​square ​foot, ​two ​story ​structure. ​We ​call ​the ​mutual ​aid ​box ​alarm ​to ​request ​assistance ​from ​other ​mutual ​aid ​departments.”
Firefighters from multiple departments in Southeastern Wisconsin, included ​roughly ​20 ​departments, ​ ​from ​Racine ​County, ​Kenosha ​County, ​Waller ​County, and more. ​There ​were ​some ​from ​Northern ​Illinois, ​like ​Antioch ​Illinois ​and Gurnee, ​Illinois. ​The ​128th ​Air ​Refueling ​Wing ​from ​Milwaukee ​County ​had ​a ​tender ​with ​over ​3,000 ​gallons ​of ​water. An excavator was eventually brought in to tear apart the structure and help extinguish remaining hotspots. Chief Molnar says, “We went ​to ​the ​third ​level ​on ​the ​mutual ​aid ​box ​alarm. ​What ​that ​does ​is ​it ​brings, ​you ​know, ​when ​you’re ​at ​the ​third ​level, ​there’s ​usually ​three ​fire ​engines, ​three ​squads. ​That’s ​a ​truck ​with ​manpower. ​Three ​tenders.”
Though no one was inside the home a the time, officials confirmed several pets, including two dogs, a cat, a hamster, and a salamander, were all killed in the fire. Investigators say the fire is believed to be caused by lithium-ion batteries left charging inside. According to Chief Molnar, the batteries were connected to a large drone that the homeowner had recently purchased.
“The ​homeowner ​reported ​that ​he ​had ​first ​plugged ​it ​in ​to ​charge ​the ​batteries ​ ​roughly ​an ​hour ​before ​he ​left. ​And ​he ​was ​gone ​for ​almost ​two ​hours ​before ​the ​fire ​was ​reported. ​So ​​anytime
​it’s something ​new ​that ​changed ​in ​the ​house, it’s ​the ​only ​thing ​that’s ​changed. And ​there ​was ​evidence ​recovered ​inside ​the ​home ​to ​show ​that ​​it ​overheated of ​an ​explosion ​of ​this ​lithium​ion ​battery.”
Fire crews and investigators found ammunition in the home but was said to be no cause for concern.
“There ​was ​ammunition ​in ​the ​home,” Chief Ron Molnar says. ​Â
“Well, ​really ​pretty ​much ​everybody ​in ​a ​rural ​area has ammunition, ​it’s ​quite ​common.  ​There’s ​nothing ​really ​unusual ​to ​have ​ammunition ​in ​a ​home. ​ There ​wasn’t ​any ​concern, ​major ​concern, or ​extraordinary ​about ​the ​situation regarding ​ammunition. ​There’s ​some ​LP ​tanks ​that ​were ​in ​the ​garage. ​The ​outstanding ​work ​done ​by ​the ​emergency ​responders ​from ​across ​Southeastern ​Wisconsin ​and ​Northern ​Illinois ​is ​amazing.”
Chief Molnar wants the public to know that there is no danger to anyone else in the area. The Kansasville Fire Department is being assisted by the Racine County Fire Investigation Task Force. The home is considered a total loss.
