Milwaukee officials urge fire safety amid 'unusually busy' season
MILWAUKEE - 2021 has seen a heartbreaking amount of fatal fires both across Wisconsin and in the City of Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Fire Department said on Feb. 10 that four people have lost their lives in fires over the past two weeks.
Acting Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa came together Wednesday, asking people to make sure they have working smoke alarms and a fire safety plan. They don't want to see another fire-related death.
"This has been an unusually busy winter season for the Milwaukee Fire Department," Lipski said.
Acting Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski
The acting fire chief said, since the beginning of 2021, firefighters have responded to and investigated 54 structure fires. Between Jan. 24 and Feb. 9, he said, there have been four fatalities. Three of those deadly fires have happened on the city's south side.
"About 8 of these, including one of the fatal fires, involved careless use or disposal of smoking materials. That’s a pretty large number," said Lipski. "We’ve got about 17 undetermined, 18 accidental, four incendiary which means somebody intentionally set something on fire, and the remainder we’re waiting on reports."
Milwaukee firefighters respond to a residential fire on the south side
Bottom line -- have a working smoke alarm.
"Test the smoke alarm. They’re not ornaments, and you can’t just put it up and assume that it’s going to be working," said Barrett.
Milwaukee Fire Department
The fire department will install an alarm for residents if they need one.
Officials remind residents, especially if they have a smaller home or an older home, not to overload electrical outlets because that could cause a fire.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
Featured
Milwaukee family displaced due to house fire, 1 critically hurt
A family is displaced following a house fire early Wednesday morning, Feb. 10 in Milwaukee.
Featured
MFD confirms 1 dead 2-alarm house fire on city's south side
The Milwaukee Fire Department has confirmed one person is dead, the victim at a two-alarm fire on Milwaukee's south side.