Milwaukee apartment building fire near 60th and Cold Spring

Several displaced after Milwaukee Christmas morning apartment fire

Fire tore through an apartment building on Milwaukee's south side, near 60th and Cold Spring, on Thursday morning, Dec. 25, displacing all residents.

MILWAUKEE - Fire tore through an apartment building on Milwaukee's south side on Thursday morning, displacing all residents from their homes.

What we know:

The call came in around 7:30 a.m. Firefighters got to the scene near 60th and Cold Spring and found heavy fire and smoke on the building's first and second floors. 

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"There were no sprinklers in this building. There were working smoke detectors that were going off that did alert occupants," said MFD Battalion Chief Joel Rechlitz. 

The Milwaukee Fire Department said some people were trapped and needed to be rescued. No injuries were reported.

What we don't know:

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

Why you should care:

The Red Cross said all residents are displaced due to the fire. A spokesperson said a shelter was being set up at Holler Park, at 6th and Edgerton, on the city's south side.

"As of right now, we have 48 units that are going to be displaced, at least temporarily, until we can secure or until we can get power and gas and water back into the building," said Rechlitz.

MCTS buses were on scene to help keep evacuated residents warm.

Local perspective:

The American Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at Holler Park for displaced residents.

"Anyone who was impacted by this latest tragedy — the Red Cross, is here for them," said Chris Skerven, a Red Cross shelter supervisor and volunteer.

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The Red Cross said it does not yet have an exact count of how many people were displaced, but fire officials confirmed the 48 apartment units were left unlivable. Some of the residents affected are children.

"Saw some smiling faces, some hugs... shared, gave them a few tissues, it was a tissue moment at times — but the good news is there's no one here at the moment," Skerven said. "All of the friends and family of all the tenants of the apartment complex who opened up their hearts to give these people a place to stay tonight."

The shelter remained empty Wednesday night as friends and family stepped in to offer temporary housing.

The Red Cross noted the shelter at Holler Park will remain open until further notice for anyone impacted by the fire.

What they're saying:

The Milwaukee Common Council provided the following statement:

"Early this morning, Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) crews responded to a residential fire in the 60th and Cold Spring area that caused serious property damage and threatened the safety of residents just hours after Christmas Day celebrations. MFD reports that residents were lucky; multiple interior and ladder rescues and no serious injuries.

Preliminary information and long-standing patterns show that the affected building, like many older multifamily structures across our city, does not contain an automatic sprinkler system. This safety feature can dramatically decrease fire severity and loss of life. Fire safety experts 
nationwide have repeatedly emphasized that sprinkler systems are one of the most effective life-saving measures in residential fire emergencies. This 1967 building predates 1973 sprinkler requirements and is legally exempt from having equipment installed. This state statute exemption, and the lack of transparent notification to tenants about it, was a central concern that the Milwaukee Common Council acted to address a few weeks ago."

Alderman Peter Burgelis, author of the fire-safety disclosure ordinance, provided the following:

"Today, thanks to the fast firefighter response, no one was seriously injured. A fire like this on Christmas morning is a stark reminder that fire safety is strong public policy because it could be a matter of life and death. For too long, tenants have been in the dark about whether their home has essential protections like sprinklers.

"While today’s fire investigation continues, this incident reinforces why transparent fire-safety information and proactive building safety measures are more critical than ever. The city’s new ordinance took effect on Dec. 16, 2025, ensuring landlords must comply with disclosure  requirements moving forward."