Lincoln Avenue School fire in Milwaukee; no injuries reported

MILWAUKEE - An investigation is in the early stages after a fire gutted a Milwaukee Public Schools building on the city's south side Tuesday morning, June 30.

Fire at Lincoln Avenue School

What we know:

The Milwaukee Fire Department was called to Lincoln Avenue School, near 18th and Lincoln, shortly before 3 a.m. FOX6 News crews at the scene saw thick smoke and flames coming from the roof.

Lincoln Avenue School serves about 480 students. The fire happened about two weeks after the last day of school, raising questions about whether students will be able to return to the 109-year-old building.

The Milwaukee Fire Department said it is still too early to say what may have started the fire.

Neighbors respond

What they're saying:

Neighbors said they woke up to power issues and smoke in the area. Some people who live nearby said they heard a lot of fireworks early Tuesday morning. 

James Aguilar said he "woke up this morning with no power."

"I couldn’t smell anything, but I could tell they were having trouble putting out the fire," Ramiro Aguilar said.

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Milwaukee Fire Assistant Chief Darin Peterburs said crews began searching the building after they arrived, but conditions quickly worsened.

"By the time we got to the fire, it was already coming through the roof," Peterburs. "And we had to back our companies out."

Crews raised additional alarms over the next hour, eventually reaching a fifth alarm. Tower ladders poured water onto the school as parts of the roof and floors collapsed, making the fire harder to fight.

"There was fire in the majority of the building from top floor on down," Peterburs said. "We haven’t been inside since the initial stages, so it’s hard to say what’s been damaged, and what hasn’t."

No injuries reported

Dig deeper:

Milwaukee Public Schools Interim Deputy Superintendent Michael Harris said the district was grateful no one was hurt.

"We're really grateful that no one was injured," Harris said. "And we’re going to be paying close attention to the fire department to learn what happened and move from there."

MPS said no contractor work was being done at the school. District officials also said Lincoln Avenue School is among the majority of MPS buildings without sprinkler systems because they were built before sprinklers were required.

Michael Turza, MPS chief operating officer, said adding sprinkler systems would be costly.

"It’s a question of our ability to fund them," Turza said. "To put a sprinkler system in would be multi-million dollars per building. Given all of our other facility needs, it’s just part of the overall picture for us."

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Relocations

What we know:

Due to the fire, the school’s Community Learning Center (CLC), including students and staff, will be relocated to Hayes Bilingual School, 971 W. Windlake Avenue, through July 31.

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Parents are asked to drop off their children at Hayes Bilingual School beginning Tuesday, June 30 at 7:30 a.m. The program hours will remain 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Any questions can be directed to Milwaukee Recreation at 414-475-8180.

Summer Meals program

Dig deeper:

Lincoln Avenue School is a Summer Meals site through the Summer Food Service Program administered by Hunger Task Force. To ensure kids who rely on this site for their free and healthy meal are fed, officials are directing kids to the two closest public sites – Rogers Street Academy and Modrzejewski Playfield. 

Rogers Street Academy is located at 2404 W. Rogers Street and serves the following meals:

• Breakfast from 8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
• Lunch: 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
• Supper: 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Modrzejewski Playfield is located at 1020 W. Cleveland Avenue and serves the following meals:

• Lunch: 12:10 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Supper: 3:10 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

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