Fatal Mequon fire, 2 dead; hoarding complicated rescue efforts
MEQUON, Wis. - A mother and son are dead following a house fire in Mequon. It happened on Tuesday night, Jan. 16, near Wauwatosa Road and Evergreen Road.
Police say the mother was 86 years old and her son was 60.
"There were just tons of billowing smoke, it just kept going on and on for hours," said Mary, a neighbor.
"You couldn’t get past it, it was blocked off. So, I couldn’t get past 76th and Mequon," said Angela Love, a neighbor.
Fatal fire on Wauwatosa Road in Mequon
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The Southern Ozaukee Fire Chief says it was their living conditions that made it more challenging for crews to get in and try to get them out.
He says the fire started in the garage and the condition of the house made it difficult for crews to get inside.
"It was a hoarding situation. The front door of the building was blocked by stuff. The windows, there was stuff piled up," said David Bialk, Southern Ozaukee Fire Chief.
Fatal fire on Wauwatosa Road in Mequon
They eventually tunneled in, pulled the son out and started life-saving efforts, but he died on scene.
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Fire crews later scoured through the wreckage, finding his mom the next day, Wednesday afternoon.
"We had to physically go in and take stuff out. One hand, one bucket full at a time until we could find them," added Bialk.
Fatal fire on Wauwatosa Road in Mequon
Although neighbors said they didn't know the victims, they say the loss is still the same.
"Just feel bad, sad," said Mary. "I felt even worse knowing that we had lived here for so many years, and we didn’t really know those people."
"It’s just scary, I feel sad. You know the loss of the family and how it happened," added Love.
The fire chief is warning about the dangers of hoarding in case of situations like this, where it's difficult to get in and out of the house.
Police are not releasing the names of the victims right now, as they're still notifying the family.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.