One dead after fire at Richland County home

RICHLAND CENTER, Wis. (WMTV) - One person is dead after a fire fully engulfed a home in Richland County, officials reported Thursday.

A neighbor of the home on the 20000 block of Tuckaway Valley Road in Richland Center called officials Wednesday to report the fire, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.

Responding deputies observed the home was in flames and collapsed. A man who was standing by a shed near the home told them that he had escaped through a main-floor window, but thought his wife was still inside. The man was taken to a hospital while officials worked to put out the fire.

The Richland Co. Sheriff’s Office said its deputies could not attempt to go inside to rescue the woman due to the home’s condition at the time. The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation’s Fire Marshal was called to investigate and search for the man’s wife. Crews who later searched the home found one person deceased. The sheriff’s office did not confirm the identity of the victim.

Authorities spoke with the man later at the hospital and he told them that he noticed the fire start around 10:45 p.m., then he escaped. He said he couldn’t contact anyone else when he evacuated.

The sheriff’s office indicated that this investigation is ongoing.

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