Four-year-old boy alerts residents to fire in 16-family apartment building

WAUKESHA (WITI) -- Waukesha fire officials are investigating a fire that occurred in a multi-family residential building on Sunday, March 10th in the 1700 block of Elder Street.

City of Waukesha Fire Department units arrived on scene at 10:47 a.m. and found a working fire in in the second floor bedroom of a 16-family apartment building.

Fire crews made an aggressive interior attack, quickly bringing the fire under control. The crew's quick actions limited fire damage to the room of origin with smoke damage to the remainder of the apartment.

A four-year-old boy was playing in the second floor bedroom by himself, when he alerted his family that there was a fire on top of the bed.

The residents immediately dialed 911, and then threw a blanket on top of the flames in an attempt to smother the fire.

There were no firefighter or civilian injuries.

City of Waukesha Police and Fire Investigators confirmed the fire started in the bedroom in the area where the four-year-old male resident had been playing. Damage is estimated at $15,000 to the building and contents, the assessed value of the property, pre-fire was in excess of $500,000.

The Red Cross was contacted to assist the family with temporary accomodations.