Fire Report: Grill Fire Gets Out of Hand

Wauwatosa Patch has been offering twice-weekly police reports since its launch and is now pleased to begin publishing a weekly fire report.

Of note in our first report is one incident that points up the need for care and safety when handling any fire, even if it's just a barbecue, and another that shows that firefighters are willing to get down and dirty to help the warm and fuzzy.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Jim Case, the Wauwatosa Fire Department received 117 calls during the week of June 12 through Saturday.

The breakdown of calls is as follows:

• Two house fires

• One car fire

• Eighty-one emergency medical service (EMS) calls

• Six motor vehicle accidents

• Twenty-two hazardous conditions, service or citizen assistance calls

• Five false alarms

Among those calls that stood out for significant service was a house fire in the 12100 block of Meadow Court. The fire began in good fun with a backyard barbecue, but ended in a grill fire that spread to the house.

The flames and smoke caused $12,000 in damage to the home but firefighters were able to douse the fire before it could take real hold and do serious structural damage.

On Saturday, the stalwarts of Fire Station 2 were called upon to assist with an entirely different kind of emergency: Five ducks were reported to be trapped in a sewer at the busy intersection of Mayfair Road and Center Street.

The firefighters reported that the ducks were rescued unharmed and released in a safe location.

The Fire Department also hosted 20 students from different organizations in the Safe Kids Coalition Car Seat Installation Class at Station 1.