Fatal Milwaukee fire, 1 person dead and 1 firefighter burned
MILWAUKEE - One person is dead, and a Milwaukee firefighter is badly burned tonight after an early morning fire.
Neighbors say wind fueled flames that spread to three homes on the city’s south side.
"This was a very marginal fire. I'm telling you we were probably 30 seconds away from talking about planning a firefighter funeral today," said Milwaukee Fire chief Aaron Lipski.
Chief Lipski says the panic began near 8th and Hayes around 4:45 a.m. on Sunday morning.
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"Milwaukee Fire Department dispatchers were told flat out that an entire house was on fire," added Lipski.
"The flames were spread out everywhere, and it spread to other houses," said Celia Vazquez, a neighbor.
Three homes caught fire. Firefighters got word of a person trapped inside one of the houses where the fire had spread.
While performing a rescue attempt inside, heavy flames cutoff one firefighter.
Firefighters at the scene
"The second floor flashed over...it goes from bad to worse. The entire area near the rear became enveloped in flames...100% in flames," said Lipski.
Chief Lipski says the firefighter was trapped deep inside the building. He was trapped for more than ten minutes.
He used his training to crawl and stay alive.
"At 5:17 [a.m.] our firefighter was removed from the front peak window of this home…his gear is completely destroyed," said Lipski.
The Chief says the flame burned 23% of the firefighter’s body. He’s being treated at Columbia St. Mary’s, where it will likely be a long, painful, and challenging road to recovery.
"This is a firefighter who is a fighter. Somebody we're going to have to hold back because he's going to be pushing and prodding to get back to health and back on the job because he loves it so much," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
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The scene near 8th and Hayes
At 8th and Hayes, neighbors are relieved the firefighter is alive, but saddened their neighbor didn’t make it.
"She was an older lady. She survived a lot so it's sad that a fire took her out," said Tasha Wight, a neighbor.
Investigators are trying to find a cause. Neighbors and family members of the victims want answers too.
The fire chief says the injured firefighter comes from a lineage of Milwaukee firefighters.
It was his retired firefighter father who pushed the department to receive the training that kept his son alive today.