Milwaukee fatal fire; man dead, 12 displaced near 11th and Mineral

MILWAUKEE - A fire on Milwaukee's south side left a man dead and a dozen people displaced Tuesday night, Nov. 29. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as 58-year-old Feliciano Gomez-Pachin.

It happened near 11th and Mineral around 11:40 p.m. The Milwaukee Fire Department said it was the 14th fatal fire this year; there were 16 total in 2023.

"It was strong. It was really strong," said witness Yomar Matias. "Really big. You see the flame through the windows and everything."

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MFD Chief Aaron Lipski said it is believed a space heater either caught fire or ignited something near it. 

"It had already burned up and involved the attic of the home," he said.

Fatal fire at 11th and Mineral, Milwaukee

A man in his 50s died, according to MFD. Another man who tried to help him was burned and taken to a hospital. 

Lipski said there were a few additional challenges, including a lot of furniture and collected items inside and the layout of the home.

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"More units than we normally expect to see in that size and style of home – that added a little bit of challenge," said Lipski.

Lipski said there were no working smoke alarms in the home. He's said it before, and said he will continue to say it until his message is heard: "I'm just going to become a pain in everyone's ear, I guess, and say the same thing over and over again. Get a smoke alarm. Get a smoke alarm. Get a smoke alarm."

Wednesday, firefighters canvassed the neighborhood offering to check or install smoke detectors. Anyone who needs a working smoke detector installed can call MFD's Smoke Detector Hotline at 414-286-8980.

The Red Cross is helping the 12 people who had to move out of the home.