September 18, 2026 – Town of Kewaskum, Wi –
On Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 2:12 PM, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a structure fire at Wollner Plumbing & Excavating, 9018 Hickory Drive, in the Town of Kewaskum, Washington County.
Washington County sheriff’s deputies and the Kewaskum Fire Department responded to the scene.
Kewaskum fire personnel arrived on scene and began fire suppression efforts. Upon arrival the northern portion of the structure was on fire and had rapidly spread to the rest of the structure.
A passerby called 911 after investigating a plume of black smoke in the sky at the above address. The passerby stated she observed a truck on fire inside a large outbuilding.
The truck was determined to be a dual axle dump truck with a heavy-duty equipment trailer attached. This truck and trailer were parked inside the structure near the north wall.
The passerby contacted the owner of the property who responded and was able to move multiple vehicles including heavy duty construction and excavating equipment outside of the structure and away from the rapidly spreading fire. The outbuilding is approximately 11,000 square feet and is constructed of steel and concrete block.
The outbuilding was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The structure and the remaining heavy-duty equipment inside of it were a total loss. Estimated property damage is well over $2,000,000.
Kewaskum fire personnel arrived on scene and began fire suppression efforts. Upon arrival the northern portion of the structure was on fire and had rapidly spread to the rest of the structure.
The Kewaskum Fire Department was assisted by Campbellsport Fire, West Bend Fire, Jackson Fire, Allenton Fire, Eden Fire, Fillmore Fire, Beachwood Fire, Kohlsville Fire, Boltonville Fire, and Theresa Fire Departments. WE Energies assisted fire personnel on scene.
There were no injuries to civilians, pets, livestock, or First Responders. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Kewaskum Fire Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Kewaskum fire:
Date: 09/18/2026
Memo – Press Release – for the Incident at 9018 Hickory Dr. Town of Kewaskum
On September 17, 2026, at 14:14 the Kewaskum Fire Department was dispatched to 9018 Hickory Dr in the Town of Kewaskum. A passerby went to investigate smoke in the area and found a semi tractor that was fully engulfed inside a large garage. The incident was immediately upgraded to the working still level before Kewaskum Fire units went enroute. While Kewaskum Fire units were enroute, seeing the column of smoke from the Village of Kewaskum, the requested for MABAS Box 18-2-2 to the First Box level for tenders only was requested. Upon arrival, units found heavy smoke and fire through the roof on the North end of the 65’ X 120’ structure. The property/business owner was removing machinery from building. The incident was then upgraded to the full First Box and to the Second Box for tenders only. Initial fire attack was made with Kewaskum’s tenders and drop tanks while the water relay to move the water up the 1000’ driveway with a 5” supply line was being established. Fire suppression and Aerial ladder operations began, but the progression of the fire breached the steel ceiling and rapidly advanced to the south end of the structure. Initial tender fill site was established using hydrant water from the Village of Kewaskum until a larger fill site could be established accessing the Milwaukee River at River Hill Park in the Village of Kewaskum.
The Box Alarm was struck at 15:56 and Kewaskum and Boltonville fire units remained on scene until 18:30.
The structure is deemed as a total loss and the estimated loss of structure and contents is believed to be 2.5 million dollars plus. At the time of this press release, the actual cause of fire remains undetermined. It is strongly believed the fire started within a truck that had been operated approximately 3 hours prior to the incident. The fire is not suspicious in nature.
The Kewaskum Fire Department would like to thank our dedicated mutual aid partners City of West Bend Fire Department, Boltonville Fire Department, Campbellsport Fire Department, Kohlsville Fire Department, Filmore Fire Department, Jackson Fire Department, Allenton Fire Department, Newburg Fire Department, Beechwood Fire Department, Eden Fire Department, Theresa Fire Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Department Deputies, Fire Investigator and Dispatchers and We Energies.
Respectfully
James Warnkey
Fire Chief
Kewaskum Fire & Rescue
September 17, 2026 – Town of Kewaskum, Wi – Multiple departments are on scene of a structure fire in the 9100 block of Hickory Drive just north of Highway 28 in the Town of Kewaskum.
The fire call came in around 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
A large plume of black smoke could be seen for miles.
Motorists are being encouraged to pull over so emergency vehicles can get through.
Tankers are carting water to the scene.
Neighbors said they heard three loud explosions before the fire.
This is a working story and more information will be posted when details are available.
