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Red Cross volunteers from Wisconsin assisting Maui wildfire victims

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Red Cross volunteers from Wisconsin are assisting wildfire victims on the island of Maui. Jennifer Warren, regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Wisconsin said the organization currently has seven volunteers from the state that have deployed to Maui to help out.

Warren said the volunteers are working directly with those impacted by the disaster. “They work with our partners to provide meals, disaster health and mental health services and spiritual care. They work in the shelters.”

Warren said volunteer deployments typically last three weeks.

To help people affected by disasters such as the Maui wildfires, you can make a gift to Red Cross relief by visiting redcross.org , calling 1-800-Red Cross (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word “redcross” to 90999 to make a ten dollar donation.

USDA natural disaster declaration for Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas counties

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Three additional counties in Wisconsin have been declared natural disaster areas due to drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas counties as primary natural disaster areas due to drought, according to a news release from the USDA’s Ashland office. Burnett, Iron, Price, Sawyer and Washburn counties are eligible as contiguous counties. All are in northwest Wisconsin.

The designation allows the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to extend emergency loans to meet recovery needs. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season ranging from “exceptional” to “severe” for eight or more consecutive weeks.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a disaster declaration for 18 southern Wisconsin counties because of drought conditions that started on July 4. The main counties identified were Columbia, Dane, Iowa, Jefferson and Sauk counties, with the surrounding counties also eligible under the declaration.

Four dead and two injured in aircraft crashes related to AirVenture

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Four people are dead and two more are injured in two plane crashes connected to EAA Airventure.

Two aircraft, a helicopter and a gyrocopter, collided in the air around noon on Saturday at Wittman Regional in Oshkosh. Two people were killed and two were injured in that crash which shut down the airport for several hours.

Earlier in the day, a plane crashed into Lake Winnebago, killing the two people on board.

The NTSB is investigating all of the crashes.

Wisconsin DNR warns of elevated fire danger this week

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Current fire danger is High across most of Wisconsin after an extended period of dry weather. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, contributing factors include warm temperatures, very low relative humidity and wind. Much of the state has not had any rain in the past 10 days. In addition, the rain that was received prior was minimal. The WisBurn Fire Map provides updated fire risks for all 72 counties.  

The DNR and local fire departments responded to over 90 wildfires in the last week, burning an estimated 30 acres. Fortunately, annual green-up progressed across most of the state, and the winds have been light. Suppression crews have been successful with attacking fires quickly, minimizing fire growth.    

Moisture levels in vegetation are declining and becoming more prone to wildfire starts. This week’s weather conditions will continue to elevate fire danger. The DNR will suspend burn permits in critical areas where the DNR regulates outdoor burning.

The public should also be reminded to:

  • Keep an eye on the changing fire danger this week.
  • Avoid burning, especially debris piles, until we get a good soaking rain.
  • Conduct activities that cause sparks early in the morning or later in the day to avoid peak burn times (e.g., wood cutting, lawn mowing, farming, recreational vehicles, parking hot exhaust systems on dry grass, etc.).

A weather system moving in from the west may bring some relief to the northwest part of the state. There will be brief chances of light precipitation for the next few days, but that system will struggle to move east across Wisconsin and is unlikely to generate meaningful, widespread rainfall.

Daylight saving time is a good time to give your home a safety check

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While you’re changing your clocks this weekend, make sure to give your other safety supplies a once over.

Andrew Beckett with Wisconsin Emergency Management says everyone should be sure to have some essentials in case the power and water go out. 

“Make sure that it has essential items like nonperishable food, and enough water to support you and anyone else in your house for 72 hours.”

It’s time to also give your home’s emergency supplies a check, says Beckett. “Flashlights, batteries, first aid kits, making sure that all those things are there. In addition to that, it’s a great time to you know, go around and check the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and make sure that they’re working properly.”

Also be sure to check to see if your fire extinguisher is still charged, and make sure you’ve got copies of important documents you’ll need in case of a natural disaster in a safe, secure place.

Whitewater disposal yard fire could add up to millions in damages

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Damage could be in the millions following a Sunday night fire at a Whitewater disposal facility. Fire crews arrived at John’s Disposal Services to find a sorting and recycling building fully engulfed in flames. Officials say the fire went past five alarms due to the cold conditions and a lack of water at the site.

Whitewater Assistant Fire Chief Joe Uselding said during a Monday afternoon press conference that hotspots around the property, as well as building structure issues, will keep firefighters busy. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

WPS clears utility crews to head south to work on hurricane relief efforts

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Wisconsin Public Service is gearing up to help those affected by Hurricane Ian in Florida and the southeast.

WPS Spokesman Matt Cullen says contracted crews that usually help WPS are instead being sent south. 

“Instead of having them remain with us and continue to perform work on our behalf, we again have released them so that they can assist with this restoration effort and be part of it.”

Millions of people are without power across Florida, and that number will likely increase as Ian travels across the east coast.

“It’s something that we’re continuing to closely monitor because there could be an additional request that would go out for additional crews, perhaps even our own to be able to assist with this effort,” says Cullen.

Forecasters say Ian is likely to make landfall once again near Charleston, South Carolina on Friday.

Waukesha County Judge stays order that would prevent DNR from regulating PFAS cleanups

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A Waukesha County Judge has issued a stay on a ruling that could prevent the D N R from regulating PFAS contamination.

Judge Michael Bohren says the state and business groups need to come to a solution pending appeal. 

“It puts the plaintiffs and the business people and the people who supported the plaintiffs somewhat at risk for a period of time. But the stay also protects the overall state policy that the DNR is working on in the event this court is incorrect.”

The judge is expecting action to happen quickly in the judiciary. “I’m assuming that an appeal would be expeditious. I’m assuming that it may actually be an appeal that the supreme court accepts as a bypass based upon the based on the seriousness of the issues involved and the broad impact.”

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce argues that the state can’t regulate PFAS because they are not directly mentioned in either state law or DNR rules. The DNR says this ruling could upend the department’s ability to remediate any spills or brownfields. 

Madison police have no suspects in arson at Wisconsin Family Action, warn against future violence

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Madison Police chief Shon Barnes couldn’t share much information about the arson at Wisconsin Family Action over the weekend. 

“I have no indication that this was an inside job, the person who owns the building wasn’t there at the time. And so I don’t know, there’s always going to be conspiracy theories.”

Barnes did confirm that an incendiary device was used to start a fire Sunday morning.

Barnes says violence over free speech is not the answer, despite the increased tension over abortion rights. 

“I can tell you that there’s no there’s no place in Madison or anywhere else for this because it could have gone differently, I think if someone had been there. And if you’re thinking about doing something like that, I would recommend that you not, it doesn’t look good for your cause. It doesn’t look good for our community. And that’s not what we expect.”

There was some fire damage to the inside of one office and some graffiti on the outside of the building.

If you have a tip, call Madison PD Crimestoppers at 608-266-6014.

DNR holds public hearing on new PFAS regulations

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The Department of Natural Resources is now taking public comment on a proposed rule to regulate PFAS and other forever chemicals.

That includes what has to be done to dispose of the chemicals, and how people who use fire-fighting foam have to respond to spills. At a public hearing on Thursday, Erik Cantor from Clean Wisconsin says the new rules don’t go far enough. 

“Clean Wisconsin remains extremely disappointed the legislature, that originally directed the department to develop containment disposal measures, intervened to water down the measures and benchmarks proposed by DNR in the emergency rule, which were also left out of this rule.”

Peter Burress with Wisconsin Conservation Voters asked for the D-N-R and the Natural Resources Board to pass the rules. 

“Wisconsin Department of Health Services has advised that exposure to certain PFAS may contribute to a number of negative effects including increased cholesterol levels, increase risk of thyroid disease, high blood pressure in women, lower infant birth weights, and decreased fertility in women.”

The rule is open for public comment for another week before heading to the Natural Resources Board for a vote.