MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Fire Department says a man is dead and another man is injured after a fire late Tuesday night on the city’s near south-side.
It’s the second fatal fire in Milwaukee in just over a week where the fire department says a smoke detector wasn’t working in the home.
Milwaukee firefighters went door-to-door Wednesday afternoon near 11th and Mineral in an effort to make something positive out of a horrible situation.
They checked to make sure people had working smoke detectors after a fire claimed the life of a neighbor who didn’t.
"I've given this speech too many times in the past couple of weeks and we've got to have smoke alarms,” said Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. “People have got to have smoke alarms."
Chief Lipski says 7 of the 14 people who died in fires this year lived in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s more than any year going back to at least 2016.
Within the past two months, fire department data shows crews responded to 14 fires where smoke detectors either weren’t working or weren’t present.
"Those smoke alarms nowadays, they're so sensitive they can detect the smoke before you can even see it in many cases and that early alert gives you the time you need to get out of the home,” Chief Lipski said.
Chief Lipski said the overnight fire happened at a rental property with four apartments. State law says landlords are required to have a working smoke detector on each floor, and in this case all four units.
"I would emphasize that both sides, both renter and occupant have a responsibility in this,” he said.
Chief Lipski says it’s a more complex issue than most people think.
"Once that's installed in there, a partnership must develop here where the occupant has to then ensure that the thing stays working, either testing it monthly,” he said. "Ultimately, the landlord must provide the smoke alarm, but then there are privacy laws as it pertains to rental spaces, that landlord can't just everyday walk through and check everything is in working order, there's laws about that too.
Chief Lipski says if you’re a renter, talk to your landlord, go to the hardware store, or simply call the fire department at 414-286-8980 to let first responders handle it for you.
"I would venture to guess the majority of people who don't have a smoke alarm, I would like to believe that people are good and people do care, right? I believe that. They just haven't heard us yet,” he said.
Chief Lipski says this fire brings up another issue. While the exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, he says there’s a very strong suspicion that it was started by a space heater. The fire department recommends buying a new one and keeping it away from things like couches, curtains, and clothing.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
