A late-night fire at Columbia Manor in South Milwaukee sent dozens of residents scrambling from their apartments and left the building in the dark with no power, no heat and no working fire alarms. South Milwaukee Fire Department crews arrived around 9:30 p.m. Monday to find heavy smoke and flames pouring from a first-floor unit. No one was injured, but firefighters did pull out a cat and a turtle. The cat was given oxygen on scene and returned to its owner.
Where the blaze struck
The fire broke out in one of several connected buildings that make up the Columbia Manor complex near South Chicago Avenue and Columbia Avenue in South Milwaukee. The property known as Columbia Manor is listed at 3411 S. Chicago Ave, according to Apartments.com.
Firefighters' assessment and damage
According to crews on scene, the worst of the damage stayed in the unit where the fire started, but smoke and heat pushed into a first-floor hallway, several nearby apartments and one unit upstairs. The fire knocked out electricity, heating and the building’s fire-alarm protection, which left the affected apartments uninhabitable and disrupted life for residents in all 48 occupied units. Seven people were receiving shelter through the American Red Cross, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to WISN Channel 12 Milwaukee.
Shelter, pets and next steps
The American Red Cross often opens emergency shelters and provides food, cots and recovery support after local fires, and neighbors displaced by this blaze were offered that same help. Residents who need assistance or have questions about sheltering and recovery options can contact the American Red Cross of Wisconsin for local resources and guidance. The American Red Cross of Wisconsin site maintains contact information and recovery guidance for disaster survivors.
