Courtesy Photo | Firefighters battle a blaze Jan. 25, 2026, in Tomah, Wis. Fort McCoy (Wis.)...... read more read more
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Firefighters with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department responded to a mutual aid call for a fire response Jan. 25 of a structure fire in Tomah, Wis.
“At approximately (2:30 p.m.) Fort McCoy Fire responded with automatic aid to Tomah for a structure fire,” said Assistant Fire Chief Huner Young with the Fort McCoy DES Fire Department. “(Fort McCoy) responded with a command truck, engine and five personnel. Fort McCoy Fire helped with extinguishment of an abandoned building with heavy structural damage. Fort McCoy Fire returned to quarters around (3:30 p.m.) without further incident.”
In a press release by the Tomah Fire Department about the incident, posted on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Tomahfiredepartment, it further states what happened at the fire.
“At approximately 2:19 PM today (Jan. 25), the Tomah Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 621 East Clifton Street,” the release states. “Upon arrival, crews found the structure heavily involved. The occupants who reside at the address reported they were not inside the residence at the time of the fire, and no civilian injuries were reported. A total of 24 firefighters were on scene working to suppress the fire.
“Due to significant fire damage and concerns for structural stability, the building was determined to be structurally compromised,” the release further states. “As a result, an excavator from the City of Tomah Department of Public Works was requested to assist with demolition to ensure scene safety and allow for complete extinguishment of remaining hot spots.
“Assisting agencies on scene included the Tomah Area Ambulance Service, Tomah Police Department, Fort McCoy Fire Department, Alliant Energy, Monroe County 911 Communications Center, and the City of Tomah Department of Public Works. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.”
Acting Fort McCoy Fire Chief Brady Brever said he was proud of the response.
“Grateful that our firefighters were able to support the local community,” Brever said. “Always professional!”
Fort McCoy’s Fire Department is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. They received the most recent accreditation in 2022.
In a previous news story, Brever explained what it means to be accredited.
The accreditation process takes place every five years, Brever said. The Fort McCoy Fire Department is one of more than 200 agencies to achieve Internationally Accredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and the Center for Public Safety Excellence.
“It’s an international accreditation from a third party,” Brever said. “They are looking at the department as a whole and all the programs and processes that are in place to conduct business as a fire department. The accreditation process allows a fire department to review their programs and identify strengths in programs that are going well and weaknesses that provide opportunities for improvement. We see accreditation as a continuous improvement plan for the fire department to be able to provide the best emergency response to the community we serve and protect.”
The fire department is also part of the Wisconsin Mutual Aid Box-Alarm System, or MABAS. Mutual aid agreements are signed documents that define how and when assistance might be provided between partner agencies, Brever said. Those partners will then send crews out to help Fort McCoy if asked, and Fort McCoy can respond to help those agencies as well.
Fort McCoy has supported America’s armed forces since 1909. Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The post’s varied terrain, state-of-the-art ranges, new as well as renovated facilities, and extensive support infrastructure combine to provide military personnel with an environment in which to develop and sustain the skills necessary for mission success.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)
| Date Taken: | 02.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2026 18:23 |
| Story ID: | 557570 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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