Firefighters from Brookfield and several other suburban departments responded to the 3500 block of Harrison Avenue in Brookfield at about 11:20 a.m. on Monday morning to extinguish a garage fire.
According to Fire Chief Patrick Lenzi, the fire appears to have started inside the garage near a space heater that had been turned on.
One neighbor reported hearing an explosion, and flames gutted the garage and damaged a utility pole and lines behind it. In addition, the fire heavily damaged one garage across the alley and slightly damaged two others nearby.
No one was injured, and the fire was under control within 15 minutes.
Firefighters were delayed in reaching the scene, however. While there is a fire station just blocks away, its personnel were at the village’s south fire station for training at the time of the alarm, Lenzi said.
That engine did respond to the blaze, but was held up by a freight train, slowing its response.
