A sudden fire near the mechanical heart of the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee sent a towering column of black smoke over the Menomonee Valley on Monday, drawing a large emergency response and clearing gamblers off the casino floor in the middle of the day.
Thick smoke was visible from around Canal Street as fire crews rushed to the scene and witnesses watched the plume rise above the property. Video and photos shot by local crews showed the giant cloud of smoke, according to TMJ4.
The blaze led to people being evacuated from the casino, and the property was identified as sitting along Canal Street, with an update posted at 12:17 p.m. CDT, according to WISN 12. As of that report, officials had not released specific information on any damage or injuries.
Where This Happened
The Potawatomi Casino Hotel complex, which includes gaming floors, restaurants and a hotel tower, sits at 1721 West Canal Street in Milwaukee. That address and general property details are listed on the venue’s official site, Potawatomi Casino Hotel, which also provides guest and contact information.
What Potawatomi Officials Say
In a statement to TMJ4, Potawatomi officials said “the building containing the boiler system is being evacuated” and confirmed that the hotel itself was not being evacuated. The tribe did not immediately offer more detail on the state of the boiler area or when full operations might resume.
Response And What Comes Next
Multiple Milwaukee Fire Department units were dispatched to the casino complex, according to the city’s call log. Recent dispatched activity in the Canal Street area appears in the publicly available Milwaukee Fire Department call data as crews worked the scene, and local outlets report that investigators are still sorting out what sparked the smoke and how extensive the damage may be.
