One of our school families (the Wischmeyer family) recently experienced a disaster at their home. The family, including Daisy the dog, are all safe but the home is uninhabitable, all contents are contaminated, and 400 gallons of heating oil must be removed from their property.
If you would like to help the family, please contact Fifth Grade Room Parent Elisa Kraus (
le****@gm***.com
) or your room parent.
More details on the disaster:
On Tuesday morning, December 19th, heating oil was delivered to the Wischmeyer home. The oil tank in the basement ruptured due to overpressure during this filling. Marta was the first to come home around 5:30PM, and there was oil everywhere in the first floor and basement. About 400 gallons of heating oil spilled into the basement and was then pumped into the septic system by the sump pump. Once the septic overloaded, the oil was pumped into the plumbing system and then overflowed from the toilet on the first floor, flowing into the bathroom, kitchen, dining room and living room. The oil then seeped through the floor and dripped back into the basement.
Brett Haller was among the first responders on the scene and, while the night was horrific, the fact the Brett and Jim have known each other for years certainly helped the evening go as well as could be expected. Approximately twenty fire trucks arrived and hazardous material responders secured the house from fire or explosion. There are multiple agencies involved in determining the precise cause and clean up. The Illinois EPA, Lake County Health Department, multiple engineering and insurance companies and a hazardous waste clean up company are all involved. It will take some time to sort it out.
Our hearts are with the Wischmeyers during this challenging time. We are so grateful that they are physically well and hope for a speedy clean up and return to normalcy!
