Law Enforcement Investigating Dousman Transport Bus Depot Fire

WAUKESHA COUNTY -- Total disaster on Sunday, the buses ran Monday, and now law enforcement is investigating the Dousman Transport Company bus depot as a possible crime scene.

According to a report from FOX 6 on Monday, officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) were on scene, along with Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department investigators. Their investigation is continuing and more information will be released as it comes available through authorities.

After a devastating fire at Dousman Transport Company, company officials worked with school districts to ensure that all students would be transported on time to classes on Monday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has learned.

"A huge thank you goes out to (Dousman Transport) management and their team to pull this off in the midst of a catastrophe around them," Arrowhead Union District Superintendent Laura Myrah said in an email as reported by the Journal Sentinel.

Fire Reported Sunday Afternoon

Multiple fire departments battled a massive fire Sunday afternoon at the Dousman Transportation Company in Merton. The Merton Community Fire Department was the first to respond, and when they arrived on the scene at just before 1 p.m. Sunday, they found more than 30 school buses fully engulfed in flames.

In total, 24 fire departments responded to the blaze, which also destroyed a bus barn on the property at N77 W30902 Hartman Ct.

Loud Explosions Rock the Area

There were reports of loud explosions being heard in the area Sunday afternoon, and that a substantial portion of the company's fleet of buses have sustained fire damage.

According to a WTMJ report, neighbor Teri Moseler lives in Merton about two miles from the scene and told WTMJ that she heard numerous explosions. “Maybe 20 to 30 explosions over (an) hour, for sure and lots and lots of billowing smoke,” Moesler tells WTMJ.

Scrambling for School Monday

Dousman Transport Company, Inc. serves Arrowhead, Delavan-Darien, Jefferson, Kettle Moraine, Lake Geneva, Mukwonago, Union Grove, Walworth, Williams Bay, Westosha and Wilmot schools.

According to a report from the Journal Sentinel, this particular bus terminal served the Hartland School District. Arrowhead Union High School District Superintendent Laura Myrah told the Journal Sentinel that they will know later Sunday whether Dousman Transport Co. can round up enough buses from other locations for school on Monday.

24 Fire Departments Respond to Help

Fire departments from the Town of Lisbon, Village of Hartland, Village of Sussex, Stone Bank, Lake Country, Pewaukee, City of Waukesha, Town of Delafield, Okauchee, Village of Hartland, City of New Berlin, Wales Genesee, Village of Menomonee Falls, Richfield, Village of Dousman, City of Brookfield, Town of Brookfield, Village of Butler, Town of Waukesha, Ashippun, City of Oconomowoc, Village of North Prairie, Tess Corners and Mukwonago responded to assist. Officers from the Village of Chenequa Police Department and Town of Oconomowoc Police Departments responded to assist as well.

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