Spirits Bar, apartment building in South Milwaukee damaged by fire

SOUTH MILWAUKEE -- Multiple fire crews responded to a three-alarm fire near 10th Street and Milwaukee Avenue in South Milwaukee early Wednesday morning, May 23rd that damaged Spirits Bar and Grill.

Authorities say the fire broke out just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, in a two-story joint occupancy commercial building. The first floor of the building is home to Spirits Bar and Grill, and the second floor is an apartment unit where Brett Schultz lived.

"I woke up to pounding on my door. I look out my bedroom window and I see the smoke and said, 'This isn't good.' So I threw my pants on and sweatshirt and heard, 'Bang, bang, bang,' and I knew it was an emergency crew," Schultz said.

Schultz said South Milwaukee Police helped him out of the building, where smoke was up to waist level.  He's lost his home, but is thankful to be alive.

"If they didn't beat the door, I would've gotten smoke inhalation or even worse," Schultz said.

Fire Chief, Joseph Knitter, said when crews arrived on the scene, there were no flames, but upon entering the building, they saw heavy smoke and a deep seeded fire in the back of Spirits Bar and Grill. Officials say the fire started in a storage room that contained alcohol.

11 fire departments were called to the scene and the fire was under control within 30 to 40 minutes. Luckily, there were no injuries, and the fire did not spread.

"We upgraded to a second alarm simply because of the nature of the occupancy and the proximity of neighboring buildings.  A lot of the buildings are older in construction and they have void spaces ," Knitter said.

11 residents in nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution, including two animals from an animal hospital next door. 

Spirits Bar and Grill has heavy smoke and water damage. Neighbors say the bar has been a downtown institution for several decades.

"He’s had this business over 30 years.  Never ever, anything like this ever happened.  Worst case scenario is that cops are there for a bar fight, but nothing like this," Sharon Tenner, who lives next door said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.