Fire part of a busy day for Evergreen volunteers

The Daily Inter Lake

Friday morning's structure fire at Perkins Family Restaurant and Bakery on U.S. 2 was just one call among a flood of calls the Evergreen Fire Department responded to Thursday and Friday.

In a 24-hour period, the department responded to more than 20 calls, Evergreen Fire Chief Craig Williams said.

And that's with a force of firefighters and medical personnel made up mostly of volunteers.

The rush of emergency responses began with a 20-month-old child found dead Thursday morning in her home on Birch Grove Road, followed by the discovery of another body on East Oregon Street and myriad other medical and transport calls.

While at the fire at Perkins restaurant early Friday morning, emergency units were called away to a fatal accident on West Reserve Drive and a fire alarm at the Evergreen post office.

Area fire departments were so busy, the Somers Fire Department briefly was asked to cover emergency calls in neighboring fire districts.

"We're strained, but we're doing OK," Williams said.