A series of apartment fires has left many residents on Milwaukee's north side in a state of displacement. According to WISN, an early yesterday blaze that began around 2 a.m. near North 87th Street and West Villard Avenue resulted in injuries to both a firefighter and a tenant, with 14 being displaced. The firefighter and tenant sustained minor injuries, with other residents narrowly escaping, one reportedly having jumped from a balcony.
This tragedy was compounded by a second incident that took place less than ten hours later near 45th Street and Hampton Avenue, displacing an additional 23 tenants. FOX6 News reported that this latter fire, which was attended to by the Milwaukee Fire Department around 11:40 a.m., thankfully did not result in any injuries. Both fires left a total of 37 people without homes, and neither building was equipped with a sprinkler system, per Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski's statement to the press.
The causes of the fires remain under investigation, but the lack of sprinkler systems in the buildings has already sparked discussions concerning tenant safety and fire prevention measures. According to reports from those on the scene, dense smoke was evident as it poured from both locations, with cell phone videos capturing the dramatic scenes.
A local resident, S.J. Paterson, described witnessing the second fire's devastation to CBS58, stating, "I just saw a lot. The attic burnt, everything." One affected tenant, struggling with pain after his precipitous escape, told CBS58, "My back is killing me. At this point I don’t know what to do except get somewhere comfortable."
