Firefighters battled the heat as they battled a barn fire in the Town of Union Tuesday morning. The Brussels Union Gardner Fire Department was paged out at 4:45AM & sent to the David & Dixie Englebert farm at 1003 Pleasant Ridge Road, Brussels. The first units on the scene found the large structure totally engulfed in flames. A passerby awoke the family after seeing flames in the area of the milk house. Fire Chief Curt Vandertie says mutual aid was called in & units from Algoma, Casco, Southern Door & Sturgeon Bay initially responded. Later, the Jacksonport & Egg Harbor Fire Departments were called on to provide fresh personnel so that other fire crews could take a breather from the oppressive heat. Chief Vandertie noted that an ambulance crew & Red Cross were on hand & oxygen was used for firefighters who had expended a great deal of energy fighting the blaze. Traffic control was provided by the Door County Sheriff’s Department. Vandertie says the fire was contained to the barn. He said two side buildings, as well as the home just 50 to 75 yards away, were protected from the blaze. About 40 head of cattle outside the barn were moved away from the fire. Another 35 to 40 head were in the barn & the majority were taken out of the building, but it is unclear if any animals died in the fire. A back hoe was used to move the smoldering hay away from the remains of the structure.
