Firefighters run into issues fighting Belgium house fire
Sub-zero temperatures cause lines, hydrants to freeze
Firefighters in Ozaukee County battled an overnight house fire Monday.
Several agencies were called to a home in Belgium just before midnight after smoke was reported in the upper levels of the home.
The residents of the home, near highways K and LL, were able to escape safely.
VIDEO: Cold temperatures challenge firefighters in Ozaukee County
Firefighters closed roads in the area due to water and ice build-up. An excavator knocked down the second story of the home around 6 a.m. to allow crews to get water on more interior portions of the home.
The rural setting of the home, combined with the bitter cold, proved challenging for firefighters.
"There's no hydrants," fire chief Daniel Birenbaum said. "We need to shuttle the water in from the village, and that became an issue with valves freezing on the hydrants."
A wind chill advisory was in effect at the time of the fire. Temperatures were below zero, with wind chills dipping down to 20 below.
"The attic was fully engulfed, so we pulled all the firefighters out and went into defensive attack," he said.
Crews from nine different fire companies assisted with fighting the fire and shuttling water to the scene.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire but said it does not appear to be suspicious. The home is considered a total loss.
The American Red Cross has put the family up in an area hotel.