PULASKI, Wis. — More than 350 people turned out for a Sunday night prayer service at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Pulaski.
The people were there to pray for healing and to support one another after a Friday night bonfire explosion. More than a dozen young people from Pulaski and the surrounding area were injured.
What You Need To Know
- More than a dozen people at a bonfire Friday were injured in an apparent explosion — some seriously
- As many as 30 to 40 people may have been injured
- The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office said it believes an accelerant was tossed on the bonfire
“The students, the young men and women, their parents, their grandparents, many of them were here last night,” Father Jim Gannon said Monday. “There were several students who were here with their bandages and their burns. It was good to see how the students are supporting one another. It was good.”
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office said as many as 30 to 40 people may have been injured in the blast. Those kinds of numbers mean a lot of connections in small towns like Pulaski and Krakow.
One of the injured being cared for in Milwaukee has strong ties to the parish.
“He would have been here yesterday serving mass at 10:30. He’s a fixture here and everyone knows him,” Gannon said. “His siblings are in our school, so the impact is widespread.”
The sheriff’s office says the bonfire and explosion happened in a rural area near Hofa Park. The department believes an accelerant was thrown on the fire. The investigation is ongoing.
Abby Huntley of Oak Ridge Counseling and Consulting said these kinds of incidents can affect many in the community.
“Not only those that were there, those have close family members or friends that were there, but who might have seen them just passing in the halls, or worked with them,” she said. “Those teachers, faculty, community members, coaches. Everybody in a small community like this has the potential for secondary trauma.”
Pulaski Community School District Superintendent Allison Space said the district was offering all its services to students.
“We gave a statement this morning in each of our classes that they would be able to visit those counselors whenever they needed to,” she said. “As we gauge if there’s more support needed we will engage in some of the outside resources that have become available or offered to us through this time.”
Those impacted by the blast are being encouraged to talk with someone.
“It’s going to be with you the rest of your life,” Gannon said. “It’s important they talk about it now and even five, 10 years down the road the impact this had on them.”