Milwaukee U-Haul storage facility fire; unit renters suffer big losses

Milwaukee U-Haul storage facility fire, big loss for renters

Milwaukee firefighters spent hours in the bitter cold on Thursday night, Jan. 21, battling a 5-alarm fire at a storage facility on the city's south side. Crews tell FOX6 News, frozen fire hydrants added to the challenge at the scene.

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee firefighters spent hours in the bitter cold on Thursday night, Jan. 21, battling a 5-alarm fire at a storage facility on the city's south side. Crews tell FOX6 News, frozen fire hydrants added to the challenge at the scene. 

Storage unit fire investigation

What we know:

The massive fire broke out at the U-Haul storage unit on S. 1st Street around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. No injuries were reported, but the aftermath left many tenants of the storage facility without their belongings. 

SKYFOX: U-Haul storage facility on S. 1st Street, Milwaukee

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One of those tenants is Bandit MKE, a vintage clothing store. The owners of the store, Michelle Eigenberg and Liz Kiesling, say their future remains uncertain because of the significant losses suffered as a result of the fire. 

What they're saying:

"We’re going to take it day-by-day because, right now, long-term planning seems so ominous of a task," Eigenberger said. 

Michelle Eigenberg

Eigenberger said their business occupied five units at the U-Haul facility. Inside those storage units they kept everything from spring and summer inventory to 850 pairs of vintage shoes. 

"Things my mother made for me before she died. I can’t even wrap my mind around the things that were in there," Eigenberger said. 

Bandit MKE started storing inventory at the storage facility in summer 2020. The next year, they opened a store on Brady Street. They say the value of the inventory in storage is well over six figures. 

Bandit MKE

"And if you’re not making sales, it’s difficult to find that money to replace those things," Eigenberger said. 

A GoFundMe has been created for Bandit MKE.

U-Haul employees impacted

What they're saying:

Kayla Gutsch is a U-Haul employee. She said her top concerns are people losing their belongings and other employees now without a job. 

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"I feel really bad, I’m really hurt, I’m hurt for our community, for our employees," Gutsch said. 

U-Haul storage facility on S. 1st Street, Milwaukee

Determining the fire's cause

Dig deeper:

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Milwaukee Fire Department.