Several fire departments fought a fire and wintry conditions Thursday night in the Town of Clay Banks. Area fire departments began arriving on the scene along South Lake Michigan Drive at approximately 4:30 p.m. to see a fully engulfed detached garage that the homeowner used as a shop. Firefighters used large-diameter hoses to bring water from the road to fight the blaze before relying on an excavator to knock down what was left so they could put out hot spots. Southern Door Fire Chief Rich Olson says the seventh fire in three weeks was made even more difficult by the weather conditions.

There were no injuries as a result of the incident. Fire Departments from Southern Door, Nasewaupee, Brussels-Union-Gardner, Sturgeon Bay, Algoma, and Casco all assisted in the efforts, with 17 trucks and 40 firefighters on the scene for over five hours. The fire remains under investigation, though Olson admits an exact cause will not be able to be determined because of the significant damage. He says they have ruled out arson and malfunctioning battery chargers as possible causes.