Editor’s note: The headline in this story has been changed to reflect the name of the auto salvage in Rhinelander that was impacted by Wednesday’s fire and its address. Our original headline stated that a Rhinelander auto salvage company was damaged, but did not state the name of the company. This change was made to avoid any potential confusion by readers who skimmed the headline but did not read the actual story.
Wausau Pilot & Review
A massive fire was reported Wednesday at Oak Leaf Auto Salvage in Rhinelander, with multiple fire departments called to the scene.
A call at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Oak Leaf Auto Salvage, 4208 Oak Leaf Road., initially reported that a large building used as a wood shed was on fire. Firefighters from Pine Lake, Pelican and Stella responded to the first call, according to Pine Lake Fire and Rescue.
Firefighters arrived on scene and upgraded the call by activating MABAS and requesting tankers for additional water from Crescent, Newbold, Sugar Camp and Monico.
A large wood pile, two outdoor wood burners and some light equipment were stored in the building. The wood burners served as boiler systems to heat multiple buildings on site, fire officials said.
The building consisted of a steel frame, wooden trusses and steel roofing. With the roof structure failing, firefighters operated defensively using several handlines and a ground monitor.
Fire officials say efforts to battle the blaze became difficult at times with the amount of stacked wood hampering efforts to get the water to the fire. Crews were assisted in dismantling part of the pile by the owner using a skid steer and loader to help break the pile apart.
Firefighters were on scene for approximately four hours. No injuries were immediately reported and the cause of the blaze has not yet been specified.
