It was a rough night for Somers Fire & Rescue on Tuesday, when a two-story home near 16th Place and Sheridan Road erupted in flames and a firefighter was injured after an interior collapse.
Crews were dispatched around 8:30 p.m. to the house fire, which quickly escalated. Thick black smoke poured into the sky and could be seen for miles as the blaze spread to nearby structures. One firefighter suffered what officials described as minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. No civilian injuries were reported, and firefighters stayed on scene for several hours working to knock down the flames and protect surrounding buildings.
What crews found and how the fire spread
According to Somers Fire & Rescue, firefighters arrived to find heavy fire chewing through the front of the home. Because of the intensity of the blaze and how close neighboring buildings sat to the burning house, some nearby structures were affected.
Mutual-aid departments were called in to help cover those exposures while Somers crews focused on attacking the fire itself and ventilating the structure. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
Mayday and firefighter's condition
While firefighters were working inside the home, a MAYDAY call went out when an interior collapse left one firefighter down. The firefighter was quickly removed from the structure and transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Somers Fire & Rescue said the firefighter was expected to be OK.
Once the immediate danger to personnel was addressed, crews shifted to overhaul, continued checking on nearby buildings, and gradually scaled back operations later in the night.
Budget, staffing and mutual aid
The fire comes as Somers wrestles with how to staff and fund its emergency services amid rising call volumes. In April, voters rejected a proposed $1.3 million property-tax increase that would have paid for eight full-time firefighter-paramedics, TMJ4 reported.
Without that additional tax funding, the department continues to rely on a mix of full-time firefighters, paid-on-call staff and mutual-aid partners when major incidents hit. Department materials note that leaders have been chasing grant dollars and ramping up training in an effort to keep up with demand.
Investigation and what’s next
Somers officials say investigators are still working to determine how the blaze started. The department’s 2025 end-of-year report outlines the broader backdrop they are operating in, documenting growing call volume and ongoing efforts to secure grants and expand training programs. The report notes nearly 1,786 calls for service in 2025 and highlights recent recruit academies and a SAFER grant application aimed at hiring more medics, according to the Somers Fire & Rescue annual report.
Town and department officials told FOX6 News Milwaukee they plan to share more details once investigators and salvage crews finish their work at the scene.
