Pulaski, Wisconsin – A request has been made to consolidate five civil lawsuits related to a bonfire explosion near Pulaski. The incident, which occurred in Maple Grove, Shawano County, left dozens of current and former Pulaski High School students injured. Three individuals – Brandon Brzeczkowski, Issac Nelson, and Benjamin Van Asten – are still in the burn unit at a Milwaukee hospital following the explosion on October 14, 2022. They are expected to remain there for several weeks according to their verified GoFundMe pages.
Court documents obtained by FOX 11 reveal that attorneys for the plaintiffs, defendants, and their insurance companies are seeking to merge the lawsuits. The documents state that the cases could have been brought as a single action, as they arise from the same accident and involve common legal and factual questions. The request is to consolidate the cases under Wis. Stat. 805.05, maintaining all parties and claims in one action under the Brown County Circuit Court.
While the stipulation to merge the lawsuits has been filed, it has not yet been approved by any of the four judges involved in the cases. The request is based on the belief that consolidating the lawsuits would prevent a waste of judicial resources and streamline the legal process for all parties involved. These civil cases are distinct from the criminal court actions taken in relation to the incident.
An individual was prosecuted in juvenile court, while another, Armstrong, was convicted of 13 counts of injury by negligent use of an explosive. Armstrong is awaiting sentencing on April 11. The criminal complaint details the events leading up to the bonfire explosion on October 14, 2022, at a residence on Cedar Drive in Maple Grove, where multiple teens were hospitalized following the blast.
Witness accounts from the party describe the moment when a barrel was thrown into the fire, causing a sudden eruption of flames that left several individuals with burn injuries. The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department reported that at least 17 teenagers sustained burns out of approximately 60 people present at the bonfire. The community continues to grapple with the aftermath of the tragic incident, seeking justice and resolution through the legal system.