11-05-2025
Firefighters battle fire at Forte Opening Solutions in Marshfield for 4 hours Sunday
MARSHFIELD − One firefighter suffered heat-related injuries as multiple departments battled a fire Sunday morning for about four hours at Forte Opening Solutions in Marshfield.
Marshfield Fire and Rescue was dispatched to Forte Opening Solutions, 1401 E. Fourth St., at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday for reports of multiple explosions and 30-foot flames coming from the building, according to a release from the fire department.
Callers and police on scene confirmed there was an explosion, smoke and fire, so a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System box alarm was called to request additional resources and manpower, according to the release.
When the fire department arrived on scene, there was heavy smoke showing from multiple locations with minimal access, the release said. There were small fires in multiple locations with extremely hard to reach access. Progress was slowed due to the risk of further dust explosions, according to the release. The water deluge system was operating in multiple locations, which helped to control fire spread.
Crews began to prioritize fire locations and began multiple offensive attacks, according to the release. Two aerial trucks and two engines were used for extinguishment purposes as well as multiple support apparatus, according to the release.
Crews were on scene for about four hours and used about 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish the fire, according to the release. They were assisted by Marshfield Utilities, WE Energies, Wood County Central RIT, Hewitt Fire, Lincoln Fire, Richfield Fire and Arpin Fire.
Marshfield Fire used eight on-duty personnel to fight the blaze, and 11 off-duty personnel responded for assistance. There were a total of 26 firefighters on scene with the neighboring departments providing aid.
One firefighter suffered heat-related injuries and was treated and released at the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The initial damage estimate is $75,000 but that may rise upon further assessment, according to the release. Multiple explosion doors and ductwork were blasted open and other cuts and damage were created by fire operations to gain access to the fire.
This is the second time in two weeks the Marshfield Fire & Rescue Department has responded to Forte Opening Solutions. On March 28, they responded for smoke and smoldering material on top of a silo. Maintenance personnel told the department that a bearing overheated causing their manufacturing materials to start on fire on top of a silo, according to a news release from the department. Crews were on scene for about one and a quarter hours on March 28 as they located numerous hotspots in the silo and worked to extinguish them, the release said.
Masonite Architectural rebranded as Forte Opening Solutions in October. The company provides a full range of premium components and door solutions tailored to customer needs, according to its website.
Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached at jrokus@ or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Firefighters battle fire Sunday at Forte Opening Solutions in Marshfield
