Fire departments across Door County responded to four separate fire incidents Tuesday, adding to what officials describe as an unusually busy stretch for local firefighters during the Memorial Day holiday period.
According to officials, firefighters were dispatched Tuesday afternoon to the Tresselry grounds on Country View Road in the Town of Sevastopol for the second consecutive day after a worker reported a gas-powered leaf blower had caught fire. The equipment operator was able to extinguish the flames before emergency crews arrived, preventing the fire from spreading and limiting damage to the machine.
Later in the day, emergency responders were called to GFL Environmental's scrap metal facility on Division Road in Sturgeon Bay after a passerby reported seeing flames.
Officials said smoke and minimal flames were visible upon arrival. Crews quickly contained the fire and spent only a short time on scene. No injuries were reported, no structures were damaged and the cause remains under investigation.
Additional fire calls were reported Tuesday on Washington Island and in Egg Harbor. Officials characterized those incidents as minor and said little or no damage was reported.
Tuesday's activity brings the number of reported fire incidents in Door County to 12 since Friday, a period that included the busy Memorial Day weekend and an influx of visitors to the peninsula.
With the current fire danger level at low to moderate locally, fire officials continue to urge residents and visitors to exercise caution with outdoor equipment, campfires and any activity capable of producing sparks. Dry vegetation, low humidity and breezy conditions have contributed to elevated fire concerns across northeast Wisconsin this spring, with state officials repeatedly warning that even small sparks from lawn equipment or machinery can quickly ignite grass and brush fires.
Authorities said the recent string of incidents serves as a reminder that fire conditions remain favorable for rapid ignition, even when fires are quickly contained.
