Racine fire causes $57,000 in damage, no working smoke alarms in house

RACINE, Wis. - A fire caused tens of thousands of dollars of damage to a home in Racine on Friday evening, Feb. 28, 2025.

Fire details

What we know:

According to the Racine Fire Department, at 7:10 p.m., fire crews responded to a house fire near Lasalle and Augusta.

Firefighters arrived on scene within three minutes of dispatch time and found an active fire on the east side of the house.

Crews made a rapid attack on the fire outside and then extinguished the remainder of the fire from inside the home. The fire was deemed under control within seven minutes of the first arriving units.

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Damage

What we know:

The room where the fire started had heavy fire and smoke damage, while the rest of the first floor had light to moderate smoke damage.

The upper unit was not damaged. No one was injured.

The fire department estimates that there is $42,000 in damage to the structure and $15,000 in damage to the contents inside.

The fire is under investigation.

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Importance of smoke alarms

Why you should care:

No working smoke alarms were found inside the home.

The Racine Fire Department emphasizes that working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are recommended to be installed on each level of a home at a minimum. Ideally, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be installed in every room of the home. 

The fire department goes on to say that working smoke alarms save lives. About three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Fire spreads fast and working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly.