Fire destroys Genoa City apartment building (2024)

GENOA CITY — Two people were hurt and eight families were displaced Jan. 5 when fire raced through an apartment building while an eyewitness frantically knocked on doors to alert residents.

Police reported non-life-threatening injuries to one resident and one firefighter in a blaze that broke out shortly before 9 a.m. at Pebblebrook Apartments, 770 Main St.

The fire spread quickly through a building that housed eight apartments, forcing residents to flee into the cold January air — some still in their pajamas.

Resident Mandy Gates described hearing explosions — later identified as oxygen tanks inside one apartment — that blew out windows as she and her teenage son dashed from the burning building.

“We had seconds,” she said. “I’m glad we got out when we did. It was engulfed.”

Gates said she lost a pet cat in the fire.

Eyewitness Zach McCormack, a guest in a neighboring apartment building, recalled hearing the explosions as he ran into the building and knocked on doors to alert residents.

“It sounded like a war zone,” he said.

Officials said the fire displaced eight families, including nine adults and three children.

Several area fire departments sent crews and equipment to assist the Bloomfield Genoa City Fire & Rescue Department, but the fire raged out of control and the building was gutted.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Genoa City Police Chief Joseph Balog said investigators believe the fire started in a first-floor apartment where a resident kept oxygen tanks and also used a wheelchair. That resident was later treated for minor injuries, Balog said.

Officials credited bystanders and police officers with evacuating the building and avoiding more serious injuries.

“They did a wonderful job getting everyone out,” Fire Capt. Jeremy Tamillo said.

The American Red Cross sent a team to help the displaced families.

A makeshift shelter opened at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 624 Park St., and soon was filled with donated food, clothing and other emergency supplies for the fire victims.

Church member Sally Torstenson said she was delighted by the outpouring of community support.

“It just kept coming,” she said. “It’s still coming.”

The fire destroyed one of six buildings at Pebblebrook Apartments, which is located next to the Genoa City Post Office near the center of town. Each building has four first-floor and four second-floor apartments.

Pebblebrook Apartments manager Steve Calderaro said he was alerted to the fire by residents, and he arrived on scene to find the building in flames.

“It was bad,” he said. “It was shooting through the roof.”

Calderaro said he believes the fire started in an apartment where a resident is a smoker who also uses oxygen tanks. Calderaro described the damage as a total loss to the one building.

He said there are no vacant apartments to accommodate the displaced residents.

“It is devastating,” he said.

Tatyana Miller, who lived in a second-floor apartment, said she was getting ready for church when she heard smoke alarms going off. A short time later, someone was knocking on doors urging everyone to get out of the building.

Miller escaped with her pet cat, and she was devastated to lose several paintings that were painted by her artist daughter. But she added that most material things were relatively unimportant.

“The most important thing is, I’m out and my cat is out,” she said. “I’m alive — that’s all I care about.”

Fire departments from Lake Geneva, Fontana, Williams Bay, Twin Lakes and elsewhere answered a call from Genoa City to assist during the fire.

McCormack, who was visiting a family member who lives at Pebblebrook Apartments, said he stepped outside to have a cigarette when he heard a voice from a nearby building. The voice was saying, “I can’t breathe.”

McCormack said he saw the nearby building on fire and a resident in a wheelchair sitting just outside the resident’s sliding patio door. After moving the resident away from the burning building, McCormack tried using fire extinguishers on the fire and then ran to neighboring doors to alert people of the fire.

A police officer who had arrived on scene helped to get the building evacuated.

“I went to kicking on doors when I realized there was no putting the fire out,” McCormack said. “I kicked two doors plum in.”