Police: Kids started Fond du Lac fire

FOND DU LAC - Police say a fire that destroyed a garage and damaged two Fond du Lac homes was caused by two boys playing with fire.

"They had been using some matches and they were burning some paper towels," Fire Chief Peter O'Leary said.

Around 4 p.m. Saturday,  firefighters were called to a fire in a detached garage at 358 W. 11th St. By the time crews arrived, strong winds had spread the fire to the house on the same property - as well as a next-door home on Farwell Ave.

"It was a challenge, because you basically have three fires going at once," O'Leary said.  "Normally we use all our resources for a single-family dwelling like that and now we had to split our crews up to fight all three."

The 11th Ave. garage was destroyed and house severely damaged. Firefighters say the Farwell Ave. property is a total loss.

Police say the two boys, ages seven and nine, were playing behind the 11th Ave. garage. Their parents, who've been cooperative with investigators, were inside.

"They feel really bad that it had happened and I know the kids feel really bad," next-door neighbor Anna Nitschke said.

The couple that owns the Farwell Ave. home was on vacation when firefighters called to tell them their home had burned.

"They weren't able to save (anything) in there," Nitschke said.  "Firefighters brought out a few pictures but everything else is destroyed. They pretty much lost everything.

Investigators say straw for grass planting was in the garage and helped fuel the fire. They have deemed the blaze an accident, but have referred both children to the fire department's Juvenile Fire Starters Program.

"They thought they had burned what they had and it was all done, but that fire was still smoldering and that's what caught the garage on fire," O'Leary said.

The program will pair specially-trained firefighters with the children to talk about the cause and effect of their actions.