House damaged by fire near Loon Lake

A Shawano County business owner is recovering from a fire that gutted his house near Loon Lake. Jim DeBaere, who owns the Whistle Stop restaurant in Gresham, said he lost everything when fire broke out Tuesday night inside the home he shared with his father on Lakewood Court in the town of Wescott. “It’s a total loss,” he said. “It’s devastating.” The Shawano Area Fire Department reported that smoke was pouring out of the three-bedroom mobile home when firefighters were called to the scene shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday. Fire Capt. Chuck Felts said investigators believe the cause of the fire was electrical and that it started in the living room near the center of the home. Felts said firefighters battled the blaze and had plenty of water, but he said the destruction was widespread. “There was substantial damage,” he said. DeBaere said his 72-year-old disabled father was home alone in the kitchen when the fire broke out in the living room. The father was able to get out of the building safely, along with a family dog. DeBaere, who is keeping the Whistle Stop open while he recovers from the fire, said he has insurance to cover the loss. He and his father are living temporarily in a hotel.