1 dead, 3 injured in house fire on Milwaukee's south side
MILWAUKEE - Firefighters on Friday morning, Feb. 5 responded to the scene of a fire near 19th and Burnham in Milwaukee. The call came in around 2 a.m.
According to police, a house started on fire that extended to two other homes.
"The whole front windows, just everything, the smoke was coming out just blaring," said neighbor Fernando Rosa.
A 55-year-old woman from Milwaukee sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. She was pronounced dead shortly after 1 p.m. Friday.
A 23-year-old woman from Milwaukee sustained serious injuries. She was transported to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
A 6-year-old girl and a 63-year-old woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries. They were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
"There were no working smoke detectors in the home during the fire," said MFD Assistant Chief Joshua Parish.
So, firefighters walked along Burnham Street on Friday making sure that another tragic incident doesn't happen again.
"One of the best ways to get out of a fire is to get early warning, and that's what smoke alarms do for the residents. We want to be triple sure that the residents are protected," Parish said.
Fire near 19th and Burnham in Milwaukee
As hearts go out to the families, the fire department wants to remind residents to make sure smoke alarms are functioning -- especially as homes are heated in the extreme cold.
"Heat your home safely," Parish said. "Rely on those primary heating appliances like a furnace. If a fireplace is being used, make sure it's being used safely.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but does not appear suspicious.
No firefighters were injured.
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The fire caused an estimated $375,000 in structural damage and $174,000 in damage to contents for the main structure involved.
The American Red Cross is also helping 15 people from four units in the two neighboring homes who were displaced early this morning by fire.
Assisting fire departments were West Allis and Greenfield.
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