Milwaukee fatal apartment fire; residents still displaced
Residents still displaced after Milwaukee fatal apartment fire
A Mother's Day fire at a Milwaukee apartment building killed five people and injured others, and residents remain displaced.
MILWAUKEE - It has been a little more than two weeks since a fire tore through a Milwaukee apartment building.
What we know:
Firefighters said there were no sprinklers inside the apartment building where a fire killed several people at 27th and Highland on Sunday, May 11. It killed five people and injured others.
Tenants still have not been able to get back inside their units.
The American Red Cross Wisconsin Region set up a shelter for those who had been living in the building.
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The Red Cross said 23 people remain at the shelter set up in Holler Park. The Red Cross said it will stay open until everyone has a place to go.
Local perspective:
Deborah Meyer continues to replay what happened. Meyer was able to get out safely with her cat.
"Opened the door, smelled the smoke, closed the door, started hearing people screaming and running," Meyer said. "It was chaotic. There were people on the fourth floor screaming "get me out."
The fire left 114 people displaced.
"Right now, it’s a matter of chaos, staying focused and dealing with the sense of loss, but the Red Cross has really given us a sense of hope," Meyer said.
Meyer has been living at the shelter ever since. She is one of 23 who remain there.
"We’ve been able to grieve together, we’ve been able to share stories about those people that have passed, we’ve been able to be afraid together," she said.
Milwaukee fatal apartment fire; no sprinkler system in building, but why?
There were no sprinklers inside the apartment building at 27th and Highland, where a fire on Sunday, May 11, killed five people.
She's struggling to find housing due to a past eviction.
"We’re trying to appeal to the public for temporary housing, secure housing for us until we can go back," she said.
Jimmie Fox is hoping to move into a new place soon. He escaped the fire with his dog.
"These people have been a great help," Fox said. "You’re just in Lala Land, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. We’re still waiting."
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While there is uncertainty for many, they are trying to stay optimistic and looking for continued support.
"We ask that people be patient, but help us," Meyer said. "Don’t forget about us."
What we don't know:
Tenants said they were able to speak to someone from their building about their belongings. They say they were told there is smoke and soot damage.
Investigators continue to try to determine the cause of the fire. They say they haven't ruled out whether it was intentionally set.
The Source: FOX6 has done extensive reporting on the fatal fire, and spoke with building residents to produce this story.