MFD: Fire that killed 18-month-old boy near 45th & Center ruled "accidental"

MILWAUKEE -- Officials with the Milwaukee Fire Department say a fire that happened last Thursday, May 5th near 45th and Center has been ruled "accidental." An 18-month-old boy was killed in the fire.

Around 6:00 p.m. Thursday, the home burst into flames.

Neighbors called 911 and tried to kick in the doors to help the occupants out. But as the fire raged, they learned there was still someone inside.

Neighbors told FOX6 News the family's three daughters made it out of the home safely. But their one-and-a-half-year-old son was trapped inside.

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Neighbors said they tried to get the boy, but were pushed back by smoke and the intensity of the fire. They also said the first police officer on the scene charged into the home to try and rescue the boy.

Police and firefighters were unable to save him.

Police say the boy who was killed is Marshaun Franks.

Records from the Department of Neighborhood Services show a 2014 property violation at the home. Those records indicate the owner needed to provide smoke detectors. The property had not received a similar violation since then.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

If you are in need of a smoke detector -- you are asked to call the City of Milwaukee Smoke Detector Hotline — (414) 286-8980.