Four firefighters suffered minor injuries during a fire Tuesday afternoon at the Aldrich Chemical Co. in the Town of Wilson, the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department reported.
All of the injured firefighters were taken to St. Nicholas Hospital as a precaution, according to Lt. John Detienne. They all had non-life threatening injuries, and were expected to be treated and released. Detienne said two of the firefighters are with the Oostburg Fire Department, the other two serve with the Cedar Grove Fire Department.
Scanner reports said the firefighters were exposed to a chemical and scrubbed down at the scene. They were showing no more symptoms but were transported as a precaution about 2:50 p.m.
The fire was reported about 12:40 p.m. in Lab 1, on the western side of Aldrich, 5485 Highway V, said Lt. Mark Rupnik of the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department. It drew firefighters and equipment from at least six area departments. Rupnik said the fire was under control as of 1:20 p.m., and Detienne reported the fire was put out shortly after 4 p.m.
Oostburg and Plymouth ambulances took the four injured firefighters to St. Nicholas, Detienne said.
Responding were fire departments from the Town of Wilson, Oostburg, Cedar Grove, City of Sheboygan and City of Sheboygan Falls, Detienne said. Also responding were sheriff’s deputies and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The first firefighters on scene were asked to hang back while commanders spoke with Aldrich officials about what types of chemicals may be involved in the fire.
Smoke from the fire initially was blowing across Highway V, which was shut down between Interstate 43 and the intersection with county highways A and OO before it was reopened about 4 p.m.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but it is not suspicious in nature, Detienne said. The area surrounding Aldrich was not evacuated because of the fire.
No information was immediately available on the extent of damage.
