Man dies, others rescued from apartment fire in Sheboygan

SHEBOYGAN (WITI) -- Officials say an early morning apartment fire left 51-year-old Randi Hein dead in Sheboygan on Tuesday, April 30th -- and some residents displaced.

The fire broke out on Ashland Avenue near 18th Street in Sheboygan.

According to officials, fire crews responded to the 16-unit apartment around 1:43 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls.

"I heard sirens and then I heard a female voice yelling 'oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.' It was scary. It was scary for me and I don't even live there," a neighbor told FOX6 News.

When crews arrived on the scene, they found heavy black smoke coming through an exterior window. According to fire officials, the first floor hallway in the building was impassable.

"We had numerous people hanging out of second floor windows because, like I said, the hallways were impassable," Sheboygan Fire Chief Jeff Hermann said.

Fire crews made their initial fire attack from the exterior of the building.



Multiple second floor residents were rescued from second floor windows. The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents.

Officials believe the fire was contained to one unit, and began in the living room of that unit.

How the fire started is not yet clear -- and damage estimates have not yet been released.

Anthony Zimmerman and his girlfriend Amanda Campbell live next door to the burned out unit. Zimmerman is now waiting to hear if there's smoke or water damage to the place they just moved into one month ago.

"Just bought a $1,000 TV and it was on the wall behind the apartment on fire. It was an incident that happened, and something to learn to get renters insurance right away anywhere I go," Zimmerman said.

The incident remains under investigation by the Sheboygan County Fire Investigation Unit and Sheboygan Police Department. The WI Department of Justice is assisting in the investigation.