MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Sixteen fires, in three hours, across the city of Milwaukee. All of them, we're told, are being investigated as arson.
Milwaukee's fire chief, Aaron Lipski, said his crews worked to put out fires at 11 different locations Tuesday morning between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
All of them were in two general areas near 49th and Center and near 9th and Burleigh.
"I looked out the window and my boyfriend looked out the window and said 'It's a fire'. He said 'We gotta get out y'all, get out, wake them up'. I woke up to this, so I was not expecting this," Marlena Moore explained.
Moore and her children were in one of the homes that caught fire near 49th and Center.
When she talked to TMJ4 Tuesday morning, she said she thought someone did this on purpose.
"I heard somebody throwing fireworks. It sounded like somebody was throwing fireworks because you know, them little, itty, bitty, bam, bam, bam. Yeah, that's what I heard," Moore said.
Lipski said he's unsure about fireworks being used, but confirmed Moore's worst fear as her house fire and others across the city are now being investigated as arson.
"We had a total of 11 separate responses between 7:32 and 10:56 a.m. That resulted in 16, one-six, separate and individual fires. So, we would respond, we would get to the alley, we'd discover numerous garbage carts on fire running down the alley or numerous buildings involved," Lispki detailed.
Lipski said there were four homes, two occupied and two vacant, that caught fire Tuesday morning from someone lighting piles of trash on fire.
Here are the locations MFD have provided so far:
1. 49th and North Avenue
2. 2632 N. 49th Street
3. 2640 N. 49th Street
4. 5411 W. Lisbon Avenue
5. 54th and Clarke Street
6. Series of fires between 9th and Center and 9th and Burleigh
7. 2902 N. 9th Street
"This represents a tremendous, tremendous risk to the public. The areas that, whoever is responsible for this has chosen, is uniquely susceptible to fire spread given the close spacing of these homes, the wood frame cladding and exteriors of these homes," Lipski reiterated.
Luckily, no one was hurt or killed. However, families are now displaced because of someone's alleged crime.
"These kids shouldn't have to go to no shelter, nowhere, cause somebody wanna run around causing fires that could've killed them. Not even just from the fire, smoke inhalation kills people. Y'all gotta do better. Milwaukee has got to do better," Moore said.
If you'd like to help Moore's family out as they replace their items and look for somewhere to stay, click here.
If you have any information on the person or people who are setting fires across the city, call the Wisconsin Arson Investigation hotline at 800-362-3005.
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