Tim Ryan, tryan@shawanoleader.com
Photo by Troy Zeeman Flames and smoke billow from windows of the Rustic Resort and Banquet Hall in the town of Belle Plaine on Wednesday.
Photo by Grace Kirchner Area fire departments responded to the Rustic Resort and Banquet Hall on Wednesday morning. The building was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived.
A popular business that had been a staple of the town of Belle Plaine, gathering place and venue for countless community events for decades was destroyed by fire Wednesday.
Firefighters were called out about 9:40 a.m. and arrived to find the Rustic Resort and Banquet Hall, W8466 Rustic Drive, already engulfed in flames. Some time later, by early afternoon, the roof collapsed. Officials said the structure was a total loss.
Crews were still on the scene when darkness fell.
Various reports indicated two dogs died in the fire.
Capt. Jeff Zimmerman of the Shawano Area Fire Department said the owner was the only person inside when the fire started and that she sustained burns to the hands and face, but otherwise managed to escape unharmed.
Owner Kris Dewey was taken to Shawano Medical Center for treatment, according to a sister, LeRay.
Initial reports were that the fire started in an upstairs apartment, but, Zimmerman said, the investigation was continuing and there was no further information that could be released or confirmed Wednesday evening.
Over the years, the resort had hosted a wide variety of events, including charity benefits, 4-H events, veteran’s functions, award ceremonies for community organizations and weddings.
Several community members contacted Wednesday were hard pressed to remember exactly how long the Rustic Resort had been there.
John Ainsworth, a Shawano County supervisor whose district includes a portion of Belle Plaine, said he could not recall when there wasn’t a Rustic Resort.
“It’s been there as long as I can remember, and I’m 73,” he said.
Ainsworth said he recalls attending a cousin’s wedding there, and years later the wedding of the cousin’s son.
In its early years, it was little more than “a wooden shed with an unheated dance hall,” Ainsworth said.
Multiple fire departments were called out to battle the blaze, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, including Shawano, Bonduel, Tri-County, Clintonville, Navarino-Pella, Waupaca and Embarrass.
Deputies provided traffic control and the Red Cross was also contacted for to provide assistance, the Sheriff’s Department said.