PULASKI, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brandon Brzeczkowski has spoken out for the first time about his experience that night during a fundraiser Saturday for victims like himself.
Authorities have said 50 to 60 people were at the bonfire when a partially filled drum of diesel fuel was thrown into it, causing it to explode, and leaving many of the people with burns.
A 16 year old charged in Brown county as a juvenile appeared in court this week.
“It’s been a road, not a smooth one, something I’d never thought I’d ever go through or even imagine it,” says Brandon.
Three months after Brandon and many of his friends suffered an unimaginable night, they’re grateful to see continued support amid their recoveries.
“When it happened, I knew my face and my hands were bad, I didn’t even know my legs got hit really. I walked to the truck, I got in the truck then at the hospital I knew it wasn’t good,” says Brandon.
Brandon’s family was out of town that night.
“My brother ended up at the hospital, and some other people, and his grandpa, just something I will never forget; and I hope I never have to go through that again,” says Brandon’s father, Bruce Brzeczkowski.
Since then, Brandon and his family have had a tough journey.
“I can’t stand that long, my fingers, they don’t bend really the right way they should yet, but I know they are really working me there. I will get better but it will take a bit,” says Brandon.
Brandon says he just wants to get back to work. Instead, he and his family have found themselves in court rooms, waiting for consequences for those who police say are responsible for what happened.
“I think we should be there…I mean at least some sort of punishment to where they know really what they did, and really think about what happened, they’re never really going to have what I had or what any of my friends had, but they should really realize that,” says Brandon.
Bruce says not only are the families of the victims affected, but also the kids who witnessed the explosion that night.
“I don’t think anybody intended for anybody to get hurt but there’s consequences when you do what they did and there has to be some punishment for that, accountability, so that court system will take care of that,” says Bruce.
The family says they are overwhelmed with the support they have received, like this fundraiser.
“I mean it’s not just Pulaski it’s almost the whole entire state, the country almost,” says Brandon.
“How do you repay people, thank them, thank this community,” says Bruce.
“The community was rocked, they were hurt, and we just thought why not do something for the community, bring some healing, we can’t relieve their pain but we can bring them some hope,” says organizer, Tom Swiecichowski.
The Brzeczkowski family says events like these where the community is involved makes them feel proud to be from a place like Pulaski.
