Milwaukee apartment fire, displaced residents still can't get in
Apartment fire, residents still can't get in
As the investigation into a fire at Milwaukee's Highland Court Apartments continues, so does the wait for dozens of residents to collect their things.
MILWAUKEE - As the investigation into the cause of a Mother's Day fire at Milwaukee's Highland Court Apartments continues, so too does the wait for dozens of residents to collect their belongings.
Without a home
What they're saying:
It’s been nearly two weeks since the fire killed five people, injured others and displaced more than 100.
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"I want to go back to my apartment, get my things, but I know it’s in a better place for right now," said Andy Johnson, who noted he's been patient throughout the process.
Highland Court Apartments nearly two weeks after fire
FOX6 talked with neighbors outside a Red Cross shelter.
"I’m here for the resources and to stand with the people, too," said J.R. Grove.
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Grove said a building worker managed to grab important items, like his ID and social security card, for him days ago. He’s planning to move into a new apartment in a different building, but he's feeling for all his neighbors who don't have a permanent place to stay or their beloved belongings.
"They still don’t know what caused it, what happened," said Grove. "Just sad, you know what I’m saying?"
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Building locked up
Dig deeper:
Others are frustrated. Milwaukee Ald. Bauman said law enforcement released the building back to the property owner. In a statement to FOX6 News, Bauman said in part:
"…the landlord must now allow those tenants to – where safe to do so – return to their homes as soon as possible…and they should not be traumatized further by any additional delay that keeps them from returning to inspect their homes."
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What's next:
On Saturday morning, the building remained locked and boarded up. FOX6 could not reach the property owner to get a timeline of when the building would reopen.
The Milwaukee Fire Department is working to determine how the fire started. A number of agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are working together on the investigation.
The Source: FOX6 has done extensive reporting on the fatal fire, and spoke with building residents to produce this story.