No working smoke detectors: 9 displaced by fire at barbershop, rooming house near Forest Home & Muskego



MILWAUKEE -- No one was hurt when a building housing a barbershop and rooming house caught fire early Monday, January 2nd near Forest Home and Muskego in Milwaukee. Nine people were displaced as a result of this fire.

As Chuck Heinz watched FOX6 WakeUP News on Monday morning, January 2nd, he heard about a fire near Forest Home and Muskego.

"I heard 'fire,' and I heard 'Forest Home and Muskego' and I was like 'oh no! I hope it's not my building!' That's when I Googled it. I didn't waste any time. I Googled it right away because I was like aww. As soon as I saw my bilding was alright, I sighed some relief, I'll tell you that much," Heinz said.

Fire at Forest Home and Muskego



Fire at Forest Home and Muskego



But then Heinz realized the flames were next door.

"We are still investigating specifically what the cause was, but the origin appears to be near an air conditioning unit," MFD Deputy Chief Aaron Lipski said.

Fire at Forest Home and Muskego



Just after 1:30 a.m., officials with the Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the building which houses Legends Barbershop on the first floor with a rooming house above.

Fire at Forest Home and Muskego



"We had no working smoke detectors, and I count nine people that were displaced. Milwaukee firefighters made entry and evacuated those people safely," Deputy Chief Lipski said.

Fire at Forest Home and Muskego



The building itself suffered significant damage.

"Nearly $900,000 in damage, building-wide," Lipski said.

FOX6 News spoke with a resident of the rooming house who said everyone was OK. He said the fire seemed small to him, which was surprising considering the damage estimate.

Fire at Forest Home and Muskego



While MFD officials said nine people were displaced, Red Cross officials said they assisted 10 residents, but one needed to be contacted after leaving the scene -- which may have contributed to the discrepancy.