SPARTA, Wis. (WLAX/WEAU) – It was a busy day for firefighters in Sparta, after spending hours fighting three fires yesterday (11/16/23).

The Sparta Area Fire District says crews were first called to a forest fire on Airedale Avenue around 11:30 a.m. The landowner was using a torch on some farm machinery and ignited the dry vegetation and burned more than an acre of land. While at this fire, crews were paged to a controlled burn that became out of control on Gander-Ridge Avenue.

Then just before 3, the department was called to a kitchen fire at the La Herra-Dura Restaurant on Industrial Drive. Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the roof. The restaurant was evacuated and crews quickly put out the fire and ventilated the building.