Neighbors hear "loud booms" from auto salvage fire; some evacuated

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The three-alarm fire at Roz Auto Salvage on Thursday afternoon, April 24th affects neighboring homes and businesses near 13th and Ramsey.

An employee at Lamers Bus Lines captured a video of the fire and the explosions.

"There were several loud booms or what appeared to be explosions throughout," said Dean Brown, manager of Lamers Bus Lines.

Brown says Lamers workers could only watch as black smoke billowed out of the neighboring yard.

 "They've been there forever. I've been here 30 years next door and the business was there long before we came here, so it's a long-term, well-established business," said Brown.

In response to the fire and heavy smoke, officials shut down the nearby airport spur. They also closed several streets in the area.

As for Brown, he had to worry about the school buses about to leave for afternoon pick-ups.

"That was my concern because at first, we were being told nothing was going to enter or leave the block and there was no movement, but once we met with officials, talked to Oak Creek and city of Milwaukee, everything was freed up and went smooth," said Brown.

The fire also forced the evacuation of several homes. Local neighbor, Adrienne Stanger, could see the flames from her neighborhood before police told her to leave.

"There were several explosions. I would count six or seven between the time of the explosion and the time I left," said Stanger.

By mid-afternoon, Stanger returned to her home.

"I definitely called my family and said, 'you'll never believe what happened.' We definitely sent up some prayer for anybody that would be in there," said Stanger.

The traffic closures didn't last for long and the airport spur re-opened shortly after 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Police also re-opened some of the residential streets a few hours later.