WAUKESHA, Wis. — A massive fire destroyed a 16-unit apartment building in Waukesha Sunday afternoon and displaced more than a dozen people.
"I smelled something burning like rubber and heard a loud pop. When I opened my front door, black smoke was pouring down into the hallway," Willa Olson a resident recalled.
Olson and her fiance Sophia were some of several residents who returned Monday to see a shell of the place they once called home.
"This is a big chunk of our life. It was our first apartment. It was everything, and now it’s gone," Olson said.
Watch: Neighbors lose everything after massive fire in Waukesha:
The fire happened at the Westgrove Apartment Complex on Kensington Drive near W. St. Paul Avenue around 2:40 p.m. It started on the outside of the building before making its way inside, according to the Waukesha Fire Department.
Brianna North lives nearby and told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin, that she could see large clouds of black smoke from her window.
“It’s just super shocking,” North said. “It’s just another day and then you look over, see someone’s whole apartment on fire, and think that could be — that could be you.”
Firefighters arrived on the scene within four minutes of the initial call to tackle the flames and clear the building.
“It sounded like fire trucks coming from every direction,” North said. “We could see like bright orange flames rising ten feet out of the roof.”
Bruce Carroll was also inside when the fire started. Two staff members, who knew he used a walker to get around, rushed over to help him outside.
“They said you need to get out. The building's on fire,” he recalled. “I didn’t want to leave because I knew it wasn’t my apartment.”
However, once he got outside, Carroll said he was glad he followed their instruction.
“I seen all the smoke and the building was just blazing,” he explained.
Waukesha Fire Assistant Chief Joseph Hoffman said because the building was older —constructed in 1974 — it didn’t have a sprinkler system.
That and the wind made it a tougher fire to put out. Hoffman also said he expected the scene to remain active until roughly 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
Four of the 16 apartments like Olson's, were destroyed by the fire. The rest, including Carroll’s home, have smoke and water damage.
“I lost two big screen TVs and everything but that can be replaced,” Caroll said. “I just don't know if I can afford it."
Waukesha Fire officials said luckily nobody who lived in the apartment was hurt but one firefighter did receive a minor injury, related to heat stress.
One cat however was found dead, and another is unaccounted for. The cause of the fire is under investigation and the cost of damages is being assessed. The building was valued at $1.26 million before the fire.
The Red Cross was on scene Sunday, working to ensure residents were cared for.
"I hope people come together as a community. Have empathy and grace, this could be anyone," Olson said.
Several of the residents and their loved one have started GoFundMe's as they begin to rebuild. You can find those here:
- Help Friends Rebuild After Devastating Fire (Willa and Sophia)
- Help Rebuild Lives After Devastating Fire (Madelyn and Kristin)
- Help Darci and Aaron Rebuild After Fire
- Help Rebuild After Apartment Fire (Alycia)
- Help Adam and Alycia Rebuild After Fire
- Help Bruce Carrol Rebuild After Fire
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