Gulf War Veteran in Wisconsin DIES in House Fire

Man killed in Green Bay house fire

by Lou Hillman

"It’s really heartbreaking," Zee Lo, Johnson’s next door neighbor, said. Lo said she watched helplessly as the home next door burned.  Johnson’s body was later found inside. Neighbors said he was confined to a wheelchair after a serious car crash. Firefighters believe his condition may have prevented him from escaping. The 39-year-old lived at the home with his fiance and his service dog Max.

"I’ve always known them as a sweet couple. Summer evenings they’ll come out and sit on their patio," Lo added. They are simple memories, but ones neighbors said they will not miss. "It is really hard," Lo said.  Firefighters are still trying to determine how the fire started and why it spread so quickly.

"I spoke to the investigators this morning and they told me they have the area of origin pinned down to a quadrant in that rear room where the victim was found," Lt. Nick Craig, with the Green Bay Fire Department, said on Saturday.  While battling the blaze, early on, firefighters did enter the home. However, Craig said the fire was too hot and crews were pulled out of the home to fight it from the outside.

"It doesn’t matter if the person is handicapped or not, going into any burning building presents a challenge. It’s dangerous. We try to make every attempt to save peoples lives. In this case, it didn’t happen. It’s very sad," Craig added.  An autopsy was being performed Saturday to determine an exact cause of death.  Visitation for Ken Johnson will be held at Lyndahl Funeral Home in Green Bay, from 4 – 8 p.m. Monday and again from 10 – 11 a.m. Tuesday. Funeral services will start at 11 Tuesday morning.