Elderly Woman Critical After Elm Grove Fire Assisted by Brookfield

A woman in her early 90s remained in critical condition Monday morning after being pulled unconscious from her Elm Grove home in a fire for which Brookfield and other departments offered mutual aid.

The injuries to the woman were life-threatening and she remained at an area hospital, fire officials said.

Representatives of the state Fire Marshal and ATF were at the scene in the 14900 block of Wisconsin Avenue Monday, digging through the charred rubble in the totaled home to determine the origin and cause.

Elm Grove Deputy Fire Chief William Hand said it appeared the fire started in the western end of the home in a sun room. Although the woman was a smoker, there was not evidence that was the cause of the fire.

The woman called 911 but during the phone call the connection was lost, Hand said. About eight to 10 minutes after arrival, an Elm Grove fire department captain battling extreme heat conditions found the elderly woman inside and pulled her out of the home where paramedics began treatment before taking her to a hospital.

Although Elm Grove does not have a municipal water system or fire hydrants (water is provided by individual and community wells), there were enough water tanker trucks between the village's two trucks and six others provided by some of the 13 other area fire departments who responded, Hand said.

Water supply was not a problem, but the home was considered a total loss with estimated damage of $134,800.

The woman lived alone with a cat, who has not yet been found.