Hope Rises Out of Blue Spring's Ashes

After a devastating fire, the community is rallying to help get the farm's owner back on her feet. Here's how you can help.

A lone plastic cooler stands outside Ingrid Knippelmeyer’s home Thursday — just two days after her family business literally went up in flames. You see, Knippelmeyer runs the Blue Spring Farm on Town Line Road in Menomonee Falls, and the stable, barn, and a home on the property were all destroyed in a massive fire Tuesday. It took firefighters from 17 area departments nearly 10 hours to extinguish the blaze. Neither humans nor horses were injured in the fire. Now, that unassuming white cooler outside their home not only represents a livelihood lost, but it also represents the hope that springs from the ashes when a community comes together. Knippelmeyer’s lifeblood depended upon the training facilities at Blue Spring, but those are gone. …

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Fire Department Faces 'Critical Shortage' of Firefighters

Village looking for paid-on-call firefighters during the regular workday of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and according to officials, they’re getting desperate.

The Sussex Fire Department is in desperate need of paid-on-call firefighters to work between the regular business hours, and anyone interested should apply. “We’re really at a critical shortage,” said Trustee Jim Batzko. “We’re really getting to the point of desperation.” Fire Chief Colin “Corky” Curtis said he’ll take anyone interested in any position throughout the day, but the fire department’s biggest problem is between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.The positions are paid and the firefighters are on call once every five days. And anyone worried about getting injured should look closer. When Curtis was looking for additional firefighters in February, he said being a firefighter is more than fighting flames. “Most calls aren’t even for fires, they’re…

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Woman Committed for Burning Down Sussex Home

A City of Oconomowoc woman was committed to a state mental health facility and remain under supervision for 25 years for burning down her former Sussex home.

Firefighters Battle Blaze at Menomonee Falls Recycling Facility

Ten area departments respond to a fire at the Veolia Hazardous Materials Recycling Center

UPDATE: Early Morning House Fire Causes $240,000 in Damage

More than 34 firefighters from four departments respond to blaze; cause unknown.

Editor's Note: This story was updated with new information at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7. An early morning fire Wednesday caused about $240,000 in damage to a single-family, two-story home in the W24000 block of Clover Drive. Nobody was injured during the fire, which started at about 2:45 a.m. The cause still remains under investigation but there seems to be absolutely no reason to believe it was arson, said Sussex Fire Chief Colin "Corky" Curtis. The cause of the fire is currently classified as undetermined. According to Curtis: The family woke up in the middle of the night, heard some noise and thought it was raining outside. It wasn't until later that they discovered the back of their home was up in flames. The first firefighters on…

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Fire on Cleveland Avenue Believed to Be Intentional

Menomonee Falls firefighters extinguish a blaze that started in the basement of an eight-unit apartment building; arson investigation under way.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of a fire in an apartment building on Cleveland Avenue Thursday afternoon. Evidence from the scene indicate this fire was no accident, however.  "We have Menomonee Falls fire investigators on scene, along with the Menomonee Falls Police Department," said Falls Fire Chief Jeffrey Hevey from the scene. "We have reason to believe that the fire wasn't an accident." Hevey said the fire call came in at 3:57 p.m. in the basement of the eight-unit apartment building at N89W15373 Cleveland Ave. First responders were on the scene just four minutes later. Hevey said the first unit reported smoke coming from the basement when they arrived. It appeared that the fire was started with contents …

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