"That is so sad:" Toddler dies in house fire, neighbors share in the family's grief

MILWAUKEE -- A house fire ends in tragedy on Milwaukee's north side late Thursday, May 5th -- a toddler left inside died before firefighters could get to him. The Milwaukee Fire Department tells FOX6 News the home did not have working smoke detectors.

The house fire near 45th and Center has shaken the neighborhood to its core.

"This block is really taking it hard you know everybody you know the heart is pouring out for the family," said Melinda McGregor, neighbor.

Around 6 p.m. Thursday, the home burst into flames.

"The windows bursted out from the flames, the flames were rolling out, rolling up toward the roof of the house," said Shirley Robinson, neighbor.

Neighbors called 911 and sprinted to kick in the doors and help the occupants out. But as the fire raged, they learned there was still someone inside.

"She started screaming, 'My babies, my babies, my babies is in the house,' like that," said McGregor.

Neighbors tell FOX6 News the family's three daughters made it out of the home safely. But their one-and-a-half-year-old son was trapped inside. Neighbors say they tried to get the boy, but were battered back by smoke. They also say the first police officer on the scene charged into the home to try and rescue him.

"He ran in there with no mask, no anything. When he came out, he was covered in soot," Robinson said.

The fire department was also unable to save the boy.

Milwaukee Neighborhood Services records show a 2014 property violation at the time. Those records indicate the owner needed to provide smoke detectors. The property had not received a similar violation since then.

The cause of the fire is under investigation while the loss of someone so young weighs heavily on those who tried to save him.

"There was no way, there was no way to get that baby out of there. That is so sad," Robinson said.

FOX6 News attempted to contact the property owner about the fire. She was not home when Rachelle Baillon stopped by her address, now has she returned a phone call.

The Milwaukee Fire Department plans to stop by the neighborhood this week to pass out smoke detectors.