Milwaukee apartment fire near 87th and Villard, resident recounts escape
Milwaukee apartment fire, resident recounts escape
One person was taken to the hospital after a fire ripped through an apartment building in Milwaukee on Sunday morning, June 1, 2025.
MILWAUKEE - It's a harrowing story of survival.
A Milwaukee woman says she and her children were forced to jump from a balcony to escape an early morning fire.
87th and Villard apartment fire viewer video
A fire tears through an apartment building near 87th and Villard in Milwaukee early Sunday morning, June 1. Courtesy: Tasia Marie.
"I smelled smoke. I got up to see where it was coming from," said Maranda Underwood as she recalled waking up to a fast-moving fire. "I went to the front door. It was just black smoke everywhere."
Trapped on the second floor
What they're saying:
Flames tore through her apartment building at 87th and Villard before 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
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Underwood, her kids and dog were trapped on the second floor.
Neighbors had already made it out.
"We go to the porch, everybody was outside already. I had to call 911. Nobody even think to yell to wake us up, they didn’t even…" said Underwood.
Her son had to jump to survive.
"I threw my puppy down to my son," she added.
Then, her daughter.
"She kept saying I’m scared, mom, I’m scared. She fell from the top porch and hit her head. After that, I just jumped. I didn’t know what else to do," she said.
The aftermath
What we know:
The Milwaukee Fire Department says everyone in the building made it out alive.
Underwood believes the fire started in the apartment below hers.
"Y’all grown. Like what are you doing? Y’all got kids," she said.
Walking through the alley, you don’t just see the fire damage, you can also smell it. The smell of smoke is still hanging in the air.
Then there is the image of a garbage can, destroyed. It is not clear where it was before the fire broke out, you can clearly see the flames melted it.
"By the time the fire department got here, it was too late. The roof was just burning," said Underwood.
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What we don't know:
The Milwaukee Fire Department is searching for a cause.
Underwood is trying to find the words to describe her pain and heartbreak.
"I just...I don’t know right now," she said. "Right now, I’m trying to process it."
The building is not currently livable and the Red Cross is helping those impacted.
The Source: FOX6 went to the scene of the fire in the morning, got cell phone video of the fire, and spoke with a resident who had to jump fro the building. Information was provided by the Milwaukee Fire Department.