UPDATE: Children, pets safe in town of Hewitt house fire

UPDATE — Five people, three dogs and a pig are safe after escaping a home that was destroyed by fire Monday afternoon east of Wausau.

The blaze broke out just after 4:30 p.m. at a home on Hwy. 52 east of Pit Road in the town of Hewitt. Four of the five people who were inside the home when the blaze began are children ranging in age from 4 to 17 years old, officials said. The family lost all their possessions and the home is a total loss.

A WSAW report states that the home’s steel roof made fighting the fire particularly difficult.

There’s no word yet on what caused the blaze.

TOWN OF HEWITT — At least five area fire departments are battling a blaze that broke out Monday afternoon at a home east of Wausau.

The blaze was reported just after 4:30 p.m. on Hwy. 52 east of Pit Road in the town of Hewitt, authorities said. Witnesses tell Wausau Pilot and Review the home is engulfed.

Crews from the town of Wausau, town of Texas, town of Pine River and town of Easton joined the town of Hewitt in battling the fire. Fire officials at 5:30 p.m. requested mutual aid for an ambulance to stand by at the scene.

There’s no word yet on injuries or what sparked the blaze.

This story will be updated.