GRESHAM, Wis. (WFRV) – Firefighters in Shawano County had a difficult task this morning as they were called to the scene of a fire during dangerous weather conditions.

According to Gresham Fire Chief Andy Schmidt, firefighters were called to the fire on Main Street at around 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 23, 2023.

The layout of the building had a business on the bottom with an apartment above, and the fire reportedly started in the attic of the apartment.

With it being an older building, crews had to be cautious that the building would not cave in on them. Eventually, a ladder truck was brought in to help them gain the upper hand.

The only occupant of the apartment was able to self-evacuate before firefighters arrived. The business below used to be a hardware store but has since turned into a food pantry.

Barb Mendoza, the operator of the food pantry, said firefighters were able to save the food that was inside the food bank. Doing its neighborly deed, Sassy’s Bar across the street has opted to store the mostly frozen food items until further notice.