Early Saturday morning, residents of a West Bend apartment complex were awakened by a fire that quickly spread through part of the building. The blaze, reported shortly after 5 a.m., started near Schoenhaar Drive and Creek Road, requiring assistance from eight fire departments, according to Washington County Insider. Officials confirmed that all occupants safely evacuated the six-unit building.
The fire spread quickly due to a lack of essential safety equipment. "The building did not have a working sprinkler system nor fire stops in the attic to limit the spread," revealed the West Bend Fire Department in a statement obtained by TMJ4. The absence of fire stops in the attic and a sprinkler system likely contributed to the faster spread of the fire, making the building uninhabitable.
The West Bend Building Inspection Department has classified the apartment structure as unsafe due to significant damage to the roof. The American Red Cross is providing short-term housing assistance to displaced residents, as reported by FOX6. Multiple fire departments, including Allenton, Boltonville, Kewaskum, Jackson, Slinger, and Newburg, responded to control the flames, which were first seen coming from a second-floor balcony and the attic. The cause of the fire is under investigation, as mentioned by TMJ4.
