Milwaukee fatal house fire, 9th and Burleigh; 2nd person suffered burns
Milwaukee fatal house fire
The Milwaukee Fire Department says a 62-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second victim was taken to the hospital with burns to the face.
MILWAUKEE - One person is dead and another was taken to the hospital following a house fire in Milwaukee on Monday, Jan. 15.
Crews were called out to the area of 9th and Burleigh around 3:30 a.m.
The Milwaukee Fire Department says a 62-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second victim was taken to the hospital with burns to the face. The medical examiner's office identified her Tuesday as Elaine Veasley.
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"My husband told me that the house was on fire. And he was trying to come get the cats but he couldn’t get the cats," said Christine, a woman who lives in the home where the fire happened.
"Like it was a horror movie. Like there was someone trapped inside a horror movie in there," said Dewon Walker of Milwaukee.
9th and Burleigh fire, Milwaukee
Firefighters say they were also dealing with the frigid temperatures and their gear was freezing up. They also say because of the cold weather, the fire hydrant in front of the house wasn't working.
"Everything is freezing," said Capt. Jeff Collum of the Milwaukee Fire Department. "All the hose lines are freezing, the pump lines are freezing. We’ve been going through that all day. So they do a really good job of making sure everything stays warm and we can get it working."
Fire officials stress the importance of working smoke alarms. The building at 9th and Burleigh had smoke alarms, but they were not functioning.
Fatal fire at 9th and Burleigh, Milwaukee
Milwaukee landlords are required by ordinance to ensure their properties have working smoke alarms in them.
If you are in need of a smoke alarm, call the Smoke Alarm Hotline at 414-286-8980. Arrangements will be made for Milwaukee firefighters to come to your condominium, single-family home or duplex to deliver and install a smoke alarm free of charge.
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Officials say the fire possibly started on the second floor of the home, but the cause remains under investigation.
The Red Cross is assisting one family.