Young couple lost nearly everything in Christmas blaze in Harrison

Posted at 3:15 p.m. on December 26, 2019 The Brillion News HARRISON – A large home with a view overlooking Lake Winnebago was destroyed by fire on Christmas night, despite efforts by fire departments from three counties. The Calumet County Sheriff’s Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting smoke and flames coming from the home at N6494 Lake Shore Dr., just north of Faro Springs Road. Friends of the family identified the owners as Tyler and Rachel Schmidt, who were married a month earlier. If was their first Christmas in their first home. The couple lost nearly everything they owned. Donations can be sent to the Tyler Schmidt Family Benefit Fund at the Greenleaf Wayside Bank, P.O. Box 260, Greenleaf, WI 54126. The couple grew up in the Greenleaf and Morrison areas. The Harrison Fire Department was dispatched at 10:17 p.m., and shortly after that the fire department opened the first of two box alarms calling for mutual aid for manpower, equipment and water trucks. Several water sources were used to fill tankers that ferried water to the fire scene. Eventually, all of the tankers were filled at Calumet County Park and a clockwise rotations of trucks was established between the park and the fire scene. The Schmidts, who bought the property this fall, were hosting relatives for Christmas, according to WBAY-TV2. Everyone was able to escape the burning home. No firefighters were injured. Fire departments working to assist Harrison were Hilbert, Buchanan, Hollandtown, Stockbridge, Forest Junction, Potter and Brillion. The Calumet County Sheriff’s Department blocked off roads in the area, and took over investigation of the fire. The Calumet County Highway Department salted roads in the area after they began icing up. THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.