BROOKFIELD — Firefighters and area first responders have extinguished a rapidly-spreading brush fire on Sunday in Brookfield.
The Waukesha County 911 Communications Center received a call reporting a grass fire in the marsh behind Soerens Ford around 1:40 p.m. on Sunday.
Watch: Crews battle massive brush fire in Brookfield:
The fire, near Capitol Drive and Brookfield Road, threatened homes and businesses.
Homes on Chapel Hill Drive and Compton Lane were evacuated as a precaution, according to the City of Brookfield Fire Department.
Limited access and winds driving embers from burning trees hampered firefighting efforts, according to City of Brookfield crews.
According to a press release, the fire was brought under control around 5:00 p.m. and extinguished by 6:15 p.m.
"I saw it from Kwik Trip in Sussex, and I just wanted to see what the clouds were," said Davis from Sussex.
Neighbors have described the fire as "terrifying."
"We saw the smoke coming from outside our window and came over to watch," said Maddie Vetta, who lives nearby. "We used to live in Colorado, and there was one fire there we saw, but it was not like this, not this close to where we live."
Some neighbors took action to protect homes.
"The homeowners aren't there, so we saw a little bit of flames coming up the side and approaching the house," said Mark Delaney. "My father-in-law and the neighbor here decided to see what was going on. We just turned the hose on and sprayed it down a little."
Earlier Sunday, before the fire broke out, the Brookfield Fire Department (BFD) posted a warning on social media about how quickly wildfires and grassfires can spread. BFD officials urged residents to follow burn bans and restrictions, check local weather and alerts, and prepare emergency kits and plans.
No injuries were reported.
Storm Team 4 was able to see the smoke on the Storm Team 4 Max Radar at around 2:30 p.m.
The City of Brookfield Fire Department was assisted at the scene by apparatus and crews from the Town of Brookfield Fire Department, Village of Butler Fire Department, Wauwatosa Fire Department, Hartland Fire Department, Kettle Moraine Fire District, Lake Country Fire Rescue, Village Merton Fire Department, Menomonee Falls Fire Department, New Berlin Fire Department, City of Pewaukee Fire Department, Village of Sussex Fire Department, City of Waukesha Fire Department, Elm Grove Fire Department, North Shore Fire Department, and the Village of Waukesha Fire Department.
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