May 5, 2026 – Hartford, Wi – At approximately 12:47 p.m. on May 4, 2026 Hartford Fire & Rescue responded to the report of a large outdoor fire originally reported near 5840 Hwy 60.
Near Hartford units were updated by dispatch that the fire’s location was closer to or behind 6000 Hwy 60 at the Hartford Conservation and Gun Club, which the Hartford Police Department also located.
The first arriving incident commander found a large grass fire that was being lit and tended to by a person at the Gun Club property. Upon further assessment there were fires located adjacent to and downwind of the current controlled burn fire area.
Dispatch was able to confirm that the fire had been reported to their online controlled burn log, but that information was not immediately available at the time of the fire department activation and deployment.
The following apparatus was deployed from Hartford Fire & Rescue to begin extinguishment efforts: two brush trucks, an off-road UTV, three fire engines, two water tenders, two ambulances, two SUV’s for personnel movement, and the incident command post.
Under direction of the incident commander, a coordinated fire attack deployed the initial brush units to operate off-road and begin extinguishing the fires.
Due to the very high wind conditions pushing burning embers through the air and landing in other dry areas from very low relative humidity (RH) at the time of the fire, crews needed further assistance from surrounding fire departments, which were requested through the MABAS system at the Working Still level.
Spreading fires were also located by crews behind UFP Packaging at the extreme North end of Franklin Drive, just South of the railroad tracks. An additional growing fire was also found to be just North of the railroad tracks and spreading toward Hilldale Drive.
The growing locations of the fires required three different operational areas and multiple types of resources. Additional assistance was requested to the 1st Box level to ensure enough personnel and apparatus were on scene to handle the growing fire areas.
Fire burning in a heavily wooded area with a large number of dead trees, along with the high wind conditions, created serious hazards as tree branches and tree tops were snapping off and falling to the ground.
This prevented ground crews from safely advancing in and extinguishing all of the fire that was burning at the base of an up the trees. Marsh area in and around the wooded area prevented any heavy apparatus from being able to drive any closer to the fire.
Brush truck crews and UTV crews worked quickly and carefully to extinguish any fire they could reach, with tenders supplying water to refill their tanks.
EMS crews provided rehabilitation efforts to the firefighters as well as staffing an ambulance on scene. No citizens or fire or EMS personnel were injured during this incident.
An EMS call occurred in Hartford during the same time as the fire call, which was assigned to a Lifestar ambulance enroute for Change of Quarters.
Assistance was provided by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with dispatch services and Deputies for traffic control, and Hartford Police Department with law enforcement assistance.
Mutual Aid assistance was provided by St. Lawrence Fire Company, Slinger Fire Department, Neosho Fire Department, Allenton Volunteer Fire Department, Richfield Fire Department, Iron Ridge Fire Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Jackson Fire Department who provided an engine at change of quarters, Lifestar EMS who provided an ambulance and responded to the simultaneous EMS call, and Germantown Fire Department who provided an ambulance at change of quarters to cover Hartford’s EMS service area while Lifestar was on assignment. Hartford Water Utility assured there were no water supply concerns.
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad supplied a Roadmaster to ensure the train was shut down and that the tracks were safe to operate on and around during the fire. Mutual aid units were released as the work was completed, and Hartford Fire units remained on scene until approximately 6:15 P.M.
May 4, 2026 – Hartford, Wi – Eight departments are on scene at a grass fire north of Highway 60 in the area Kettle Moraine Drive in the railroad tracks just east of Hartford, Wi.
The initial call came in around 1 p.m. Fire departments on scene include Hartford, Iron Ridge, Neosho, Allenton, Slinger, Germantown, and Jackson.
The DNR had issued a burn ban. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asks the public to avoid outdoor burning activities, as fire danger is Very High across much of the state and DNR burn permits are suspended in 43 counties. Fire risk is increased by ongoing dry vegetation, low humidity, warmer temperatures and breezy conditions, with gusts up to 35 mph expected.
This is a working story and more information will be posted when details are available.
