LOYAL – Three families were displaced by a fire that destroyed three buildings in downtown Loyal overnight.
Crews were dispatched at 7:39 p.m. Thursday and worked to control the scene until about 8 a.m. Friday, according to Loyal Fire Chief Scott Radue. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The three properties impacted are 226, 230 and 232 North Main Street. Each contained at least one apartment unit and a business or nonprofit organization. Those include a laundromat, a fitness center and a food pantry.
“Everyone in Loyal is devastated over the loss of these three buildings, but no one was hurt. I think that’s just something that we can all be thankful for,” said Mayor Carmen Englebretson.
The displaced families are being assisted by the American Red Cross. Donations are welcome and can be dropped off at the Loyal Legion.
The Loyal Fire Department was assisted at the scene by fire departments from the city of Greenwood, city of Thorp, village of Spencer, the town of Grant, the town of Chili and Central Fire & EMS District.
The Loyal Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene.
“It’s a small town Main Street. All your businesses are on Main Street or the streets around it. These buildings were 100 years old,” Englebretson said. “The older people in Loyal remember what they were 50-60 years ago. I worked in the grocery store that is the fitness center when I first moved to Loyal. My husband rented his tux out from the (food pantry) building.”
“There’s a lot of memories in these old buildings, but no one was hurt. No life was lost. We made it out safe,” Englebretson said. “The buildings can be replaced, the people can find new homes, we can rebuild.”
Here’s how you can help
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A fundraising account for displaced victims of the fire is set up at Citizens State Bank of Loyal called the Loyal Fire Fund. A Venmo account has been set up for donations with the account name @loyalfirefund. There is also an account at the bank for the Loyal Food Pantry to replace equipment lost in the fire.
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Donations of clothing, toiletries and food are welcomed in the first phase of donations. These things can be dropped off at Loyal American Legion until 8 p.m. Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and more dates and hours to be announced later. Details for clothing sizes and other needs can be found on the City of Loyal Facebook page.
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Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK – Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Loyal fire displaces three families and destroys 3 downtown buildings
