Early-morning fire destroys home in Rib Falls
By Kevin O’Brien
A family in the town of Rib Falls lost their home and most of their possessions last week after an early-morning fire consumed their two-story house while they were away.
The house belonged to Larry Draeger and his family, who were out of the country visiting his wife’s family in the Philippines when the fire occurred.
The cause of the fire has not been determined at this point, but the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department said there was no evidence of suspicious activity.
Marathon City Fire Chief Darrin Hall said his department was dispatched to the scene at 2:14 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, and by the time they arrived, the north end of the house was already fully engulfed in flames.
Hall said firefighters not only had to battle the flames, but also brutal subzero temperatures, which caused problems with a drafting pond set up on scene. He said they were able to mostly avoid freezeups, but only as long as the water was flowing through the hoses.
“It was a tough one,” he said. “Everything was frozen, including us.”
At the same time, he said firefighters were never short on water, with extra tenders provided by the Edgar and Hamburg fire departments, and fill sites set up at a pond down the road from the house and at a hydrant in Marathon City.
The home’s steel roof also presented a challenge to firefighters, he said, as it allowed the flames to spread quickly underneath.
Hall said 14 firefighters from Marathon responded to the scene, and another 10 to 15 came from neighboring departments, including Hamburg and Edgar. He said they were on scene for a little over four hours, and when they returned to the station about 6 a.m., it was still 18 below, so they had to thaw out their equipment.
The fire call was called in by someone driving by, but if it had been called in sooner, Hall said firefighters may have had a chance to save at least part of the house. As it happened, though, the house was a complete loss.
“It’s really too bad for the family,” he said. “Luckily they were not home.”
Larry Draeger said on Monday this family has received “enormous support” following the devastating fire.
“I cannot thank everyone enough for the support that has been shown,” he said. “I’m truly humbled and grateful.”
