UPDATE at 10:00 a.m. CST on April 19, 2023: The far-reaching blaze that killed a woman and her baby on the south side of Milwaukee last week was likely caused by a charcoal grill, according to intel shared by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
As reported by Madison Goldbeck of TMJ4, an investigation from Milwaukee fire crews suggests that a grill on the victims’ back porch might’ve engulfed the home in flames, which quickly spread to three other homes in the area. Milwaukee fire officials also believe that windy conditions contributed to the reach of these flames, which grew more dire when it spread to asphalt siding on a neighboring home — ultimately accelerating the process even more.
The woman, who has since been identified as Maria Castillo Cortez, and her 16-month-old daughter lived on the third floor of the home near 19th and Burnham. The woman’s body was recovered from the scene a day after the blaze occurred.
During a recent edition of Wisconsin’s Afternoon News, the team spoke to Mike Jakubowsi, whose parents grew up in the homes that burnt down in this fire:
UPDATE at 8:15 p.m. CST on April 13, 2023: The Milwaukee Fire Department said Wednesday’s fatal house fire could have been much worse during a press conference Thursday outside the four affected duplexes.
“Within eight minutes, it had already went to a third alarm,” said Assistant Chief De’Wayne Smoots. “What that means is a tremendous amount of fire at one time even before we got on scene. We had roughly 82 firefighters here with us fighting the fire.”
Smoots said it is very uncommon for this kind of fire damage to affect four structures in a row. The cause of the fire and whether or not the homes had smoke detectors remains under investigation, but windy conditions did contribute to how quickly the fire spread.
Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa encouraged residents to take advantage of the Milwaukee Fire Department Smoke Detector Hotline: 414-286-8980. The fire department will install smoke alarms in homes for free to anyone who needs them.
UPDATE at 1:00 p.m. CST on April 13, 2023: Three of the four homes damaged in a massive fire on the 1900-block of S 19th St on Wednesday afternoon were deemed a total loss and the Milwaukee Medical Examiner’s Office (MMEO) reports two fire-related deaths in the area. They have since identified the victims as a 27-year-old woman and a 16-month-old baby.
MMEO officials visited the scene of the blaze on Thursday for reports of two fire victims being discovered. At this stage of the investigation, details are limited, but the search would suggest that these deaths are related to Wednesday’s fire.
As reported by TMJ4 during the initial firefighting response, two people were unaccounted for in the aftermath of the fire on Wednesday. Crews remained at the scene through Wednesday night to monitor for spot fires and search for these two individuals.
MILWAUKEE — If you are in the area of W Burnham St & S 19th St in Milwaukee, you are urged to leave due to a tremendous three-alarm fire that is sending plumes of smoke into the air above the city.
Details are limited at this stage of the firefighting process as all resources and Milwaukee fire leaders have their effort focused on containing the blaze. The fire was reported sometime after 4:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday afternoon. It’s currently unclear what caused it or if there are any injuries as a result of this incident.
To view a livestream of the blaze from our partners at TMJ4, click here.
RELATED: Wisconsin hits 80 degrees as Milwaukee inches toward record-setting temps
High temperatures and powerful wind gusts are contributors to fire danger reported across the southern half of Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency as a result. Burning of any kind is currently advised against in much of the state including Milwaukee.
RELATED: Gov. Evers declares state of emergency due to wildfire conditions
A red flag warning, which is issued to alert people to conditions that amplify fire, will remain in effect through 8:00 p.m. CST on April 12.
This is a breaking news story. An update and/or follow-up will be issued if further details are revealed.
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