On Sunday, March 4, 2012, around noon, fire department units in Clark County Wisconsin responded to a reported fire at the Abby Theatre located on 216 North First St. in Abbotsford, Wisconsin.
"Speaking to the owner, he said he was here at 10:30, turned up the furnaces to get ready for this afternoon's movies and he was later called and said his theater was engulfed in fire," said Abbotsford Fire Chief Jody Apfelbeck.
After fire fighters and fire units arrived on scene it's reported the fire raged for hours into the afternoon. Crews from four departments fought the flames.
Apfelbeck said while attacking flames from inside the theater, the unthinkable happened.
"The call was made shortly before that to evacuate the building and not everyone made it out in time. They were inside the building when the roof collapsed," Apfelbeck said
According to the Abbotsford fire chief, the roof of the theatre was weighed down by snow, and collapsed during the fire, trapping three firefighters, including the firefighter who died.
Four firefighters fell through the roof of the Abby Theatre in Abbotsford and were taken to a Marshfield hospital where one of the firefighters succumbed to injuries Sunday evening, according to the Colby Fire Department.
One of the injured firefighters was transported by helicopter to Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, Apfelbeck said. Three firefighters were treated and released by 7 p.m., according to a hospital nursing supervisor.
The victim was a firefighter with nearby Colby Fire Department, a community about two miles south of Abbotsford. The firefighter's identity was not released.
The Clark County Coroners Office said a male firefighter passed away from injuries in the fire and confirmed the death Sunday night.
"Our hearts go out to all the families involved," Abbotsford Fire Chief Jody Apfelbeck said.
About 35 firefighters from four departments responded.
The fire's cause remains under investigation. The State Fire Marshal was on the scene Sunday night to help investigate the cause. The Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also are involved in the investigation.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
