The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner says a woman has died and a man is in the hospital after a fire near 9th and Burleigh in the City of Milwaukee.
Fire crews were called to a two-story home there — they say the second floor was burning. There were smoke alarms in the building, but firefighters say they were barely working.
A 62-year-old woman died in the fire and an elderly man is in the hospital. Tuesday afternoon, that woman was identified as Elaine Veasley.
TMJ4 crews arrived to the scene around 4:30 Monday morning when the fire was still burning. A report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office says the cause of the fire is "undetermined, however it is suspected to be related to smoking."
Firefighting effects have been impacted by the dangerously cold temperatures across the area.
In this extreme cold weather, it's challenging to say the least," said Milwaukee Fire Department Deputy Chief David Seager. "Our firefighters are going through the foot and a half of snow that we just received and then the temperatures plummet. But what's even more challenging than that is having your mechanicals work."
He said there's a few things you can do to help firefighters during cold snaps.
"Please, please, please if you are using space heaters do not put them up against any thing that's ignitable, make sure you use them as properly directed. Do not use your stove in any measure other than to cook, don't use it to heat your homes," Seager said about preventable measures to take.
He also recommends making sure you have working smoke detectors in your home and asks that you make sure your neighborhood fire hydrants are clear of snow.
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