The cause of a fire that destroyed a Merrill home remains undetermined, pending further investigation, according to Merrill Fire Chief Dave Savone.
“This is still an active investigation,” Savone said Monday.
Agencies involved in the investigation include the Merrill Fire Department, Merrill Police Department, the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The Merrill Fire Department was called to a structure fire at the corner of E. First and Hope sts. at 3:03 a.m. Thursday. Upon arrival, incident command reported heavy fire in the garage and north side of the house.
A total of seven people were in the home at the time the fire was discovered by the homeowner. All were able to get out to safety, with a minor burn injury to one of the occupants.
Merrill Fire Department initially deployed three hose lines and requested mutual aid from the town of Pine River Fire Department. Fire personnel were on the scene for about three hours to knock down the fire and extinguish hot spots.
The Merrill Fire Department maintained control of the scene throughout the subsequent investigation, until about 1:40 p.m. on Friday, before turning it over to the homeowners.
The home and garage are a total loss.