Beaver Dam apartment burn called a success
Building destruction only way to handle unnamed chemicals left after previous explosions
BEAVER DAM - Firefighters went against their normal operating procedure Thursday morning and lit an apartment building on fire.
With more than 20 fire departments on hand, firefighters lit both ends of the 16-unit apartment building just after 10 a.m. They also had to keep an eye on the building’s closest neighbor to ensure that the fire didn’t spread.
By 4 p.m., Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel declared the burn a success.
“The fire burned hot enough to accomplish what we need to do,” said Mannel. “The FBI bomb squad and chemist have confirmed that no explosive materials remain on the site.”
The presence of dangerous chemicals in Village Glen Apartments’ Building 109 after explosions on March 5, 7 and 8 made it unsafe to try to salvage the building, officials said, citing the risk of another explosion or chemical exposure to workers.
They have not publicly disclosed what chemicals were in apartment 11 where Benjamin D. Morrow lived, only describing them as “extremely volatile and unstable explosives.” Morrow, 28, died in the March 5 explosion.
Residents of some neighboring apartments were unable to immediately return to their homes following the burn.
As part of the preparation for Thursday’s burn, bomb techs from the FBI removed ammunition and hazardous materials from the building before the burn, according to a Thursday morning news release.
During that sweep, bomb techs also grabbed some property in the various apartments, including important papers, jewelry, money and other family heirlooms.
“While we realize that this is a change in the previous position taken by the city, further analysis led us to believe that this is something that can be accomplished safely utilizing the experts from the FBI bomb squad,” the release said.
About 30 other people lived in the apartment building on Knaup Drive. All pets were removed from the property, officials said. Officials intended to burn just Building 109, and successfully protected nearby buildings.