Milwaukee fatal fire; victims ID'd, charcoal grill may have sparked blaze

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office revealed on Tuesday, April 18 the names of the victims of the fatal fire near 19th and Burnham in Milwaukee. The victims are 27-year-old Maria Castillo Cortez and her 16-month-old daughter, Maria Chavez Castillo. 

The medical examiner's report also revealed the "fire was believed to have been started on the rear porch of 1921 South 19th Street by a charcoal grill that was not properly extinguished after use. Smoke was noted by tenants" around 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, but the tenants were unable to extinguish the fire at that time. 911 was activated just after 4 p.m. The initial fire spread to three other adjacent houses. 

In the end, three homes were destroyed, and a fourth was damaged. Wind drove flames between the houses, and a gas leak at one of the houses helped fuel the fire, officials said.

A Go Fund Me for the mother and daughter has been established. 

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