Several displaced after fire at New Berlin apartment complex

NEW BERLIN -- A two-alarm fire sent residents rushing out of the Wyndridge apartment complex in New Berlin near Janesville Road and 127th Street Sunday afternoon, May 20th.

Firefighters say they got the call just after noon.

The roof of the apartment complex was badly burned and collapsed, but fire officials say no one was injured.

Firefighters say while the structure had a sprinkler system, the fire began to spread through the attic that is not equipped with a sprinkler system.

High winds in the area helped fuel the fire. It became a two-alarm concern, and about a dozen fire departments helped control the blaze.

Officials say eight units in the complex were badly damaged.

Fire officials say neighbors noticed the fire and acted quickly. Derek Damico noticed the fire and jumped into action. "I've never seen a fire of that magnitude. It was blowing and billowing, and that little bit of smoke turned into black clouds. Within seconds you can't even breathe out here. We ran over and got the residents out right away," Damico said.

Firefighters say the fire is not considered suspicious, and they are working with the Wisconsin Fire Marshals Office to determine the cause.

Firefighters estime 20 people were displaced as a result of this fire.

The damage is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Firefighters are not describing the fire as suspicious, but continue to investigate. They say they responded to the call for help in about six minutes. Some neighbors disputed that time - estimating it took between 15 to 20 minutes.