Driver Almost Hits Wis. Fire Chief, Police Officer

SPARTA, Wis. -- Firefighters battling a house fire Monday in Sparta had to dodge errant vehicles, including one piloted by a suspected drunken driver apparently in a hurry for a late-night snack, authorities said.

Police were directing traffic away from the 319 Wisconsin St. fire at 11:35 p.m. when a driver steered his pickup truck around them and through the area, nearly striking one officer and the fire chief.

Police Chief Michael Kass said it appeared Richard Schmitz, 49, was trying to get to McDonalds and took the most direct route -- right over the fire hoses.

"His level of intoxication impaired his judgment," Kass said.

Police arrested Schmitz, of Norwalk, on suspicion of operating while intoxicated. Blood test results were not immediately available.

It wasn't the first traffic incident of the night.

About 30 minutes earlier, a 70-year-old driver had plowed into a police car parked across the road with emergency lights flashing.

"This lady just appeared," Kass said. "She didn't slow down."

No one was injured, but the squad car had to be towed. Kass expects damage to be about $2,000 and said the Monroe County Sheriff's Department is investigating the crash.

The blaze was reported just after 10 p.m. The residents escaped, but flames worked their way into the walls, floor and roof of the house, according to the Sparta Fire Department.

It took firefighters about six hours to contain the fire. The extent of the damage was not known.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service