Milwaukee apartment arson near 27th and Loomis, 5 people injured
Milwaukee apartment arson near 27th and Loomis, 5 injured
The Milwaukee Police Department said an apartment building fire that hospitalized five people early Friday morning has been deemed arson.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Police Department said an apartment building fire that hospitalized five people early Friday morning has been deemed arson.
27th and Loomis
What they're saying:
It happened on Fardale Avenue, near 27th and Loomis, on the city's south side. The fire department was called just after 6:30 a.m.
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"We were getting numerous phone calls about people trapped with numerous kids inside apartment units – elderly folks, wheelchair-bound folks," said Lipski.
Apartment building arson on Fardale Avenue, near 27th and Loomis
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they had to rescue "many" people from the second floor – some of whom jumped from the windows.
"Talked to a couple of them. They were saying they were jumping out the window to not get burned alive I guess," said Darrin Hanson, a property manager for a nearby building. "What would you do? I would rather break a leg than burn to death, especially when you got kids."
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Police said a 27-year-old victim sustained life-threatening injuries, a 64-year-old and an 18-year-old were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, and a 47-year-old and a 9-year-old were also taken to a hospital. No firefighters were hurt.
The Red Cross said all eight units of the building are unlivable, and an estimated 25 people are now without a home.
"Stuff like this happens, especially this time of year," Hanson said. "Just open your heart up, open your doors and be kind."
FOX6 News reached out to the property manager of the building where the fire took place. He said he did not want to speak on camera and said they're working to figure out what happened.
What you can do:
Investigators are looking for a known suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call MPD at 414-935-7360; to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 tips app.
No sprinklers
Big picture view:
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said the building near 27th and Loomis did not have sprinklers; it was built before Wisconsin law required them.
"Had it been sprinklered – again, we wouldn’t be having this conversation because it would’ve been a quick situation," he said.
Milwaukee apartment arson; lack of sprinklers raises safety questions
Milwaukee police say a fire at a senior apartment complex was intentionally set, displacing residents and injuring one woman, while officials explain why sprinklers were not required.
It's the second time this week that MPD has opened an arson investigation. On Tuesday, an apartment building fire near 22nd and Hampton injured several people and displaced dozens of residents. That building did not have sprinklers either.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information.
The Source: FOX6 News went to the scene of the fire and requested information from the Milwaukee fire and police departments.