Updated at 12:35 on April 14th: Fire Chief Aaron Lipski and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson held a press conference at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee where the injured firefighter is recovering.
Chief Lipski said they received the first call about a house being on fire at 4:49 AM on Sunday, April 14th. The first fire engine was on the scene at 4:54 AM. Soon after that, multiple calls were made that multiple houses were on fire.
“If you’re familiar with this part of town this is old stock, wood frame housing,” said Chief Lipski. “You can’t even extend your arms between these houses they’re so close. ….It’s very, very dangerous once one of them starts burning.”
According to Chief Lipski, the main house that caught on fire was 2467-69 S. 8th Street. Just north of that, the fire had spread to 2461 S. 8th Street. A third house located to the south of the original building caught fire at 2471 S. 8th Street.
The third south building is where the firefighter became trapped by the fire and was not able to access the staircase. Mayday calls were made for that firefighter at 5:05 AM and he was rescued from the building at 5:17 AM. According to Fire Chief Lipski, it’s also the building where the victim succumbed to the fire.
Fire Chief Lipski thanked the doctors who are treating the firefighter and Mayor Johnson for his support of the fire department. But the Chief also added this result could’ve been different.
“This (the scene of the fire) is across the street and down the block from Station 31, which was shuttered in 2013,” Chief Lipski said. “This is what we have been telling you. We had a five-minute response time. This wasn’t even the main building where the fatality occurred or we almost killed a firefighter.”
Chief Lipski confirmed there are plans to reopen Station 31. He could not provide many details about the injured firefighter.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the deceased person is a young adult female.
MILWAUKEE – After a fire on Milwaukee’s southwest side Sunday morning, one adult woman is dead and a Milwaukee firefighter is injured.
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that a fire broke out at a home near the intersection of 8th St. and Hayes Avenue.
@MilFireDept will have briefing RE: S. 8th Street fire fatality w/ firefighter severely burned in rescue attempt. This will be at Columbia-St. Mary’s at a time TBD. Family members & firefighting brothers & sisters are here with him. He is in the care of the best burn unit around.
— Aaron Lipski (@alipski1) April 14, 2024
Chief Lipski confirmed the injured firefighter is surrounded by family members and other firefighters at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee.
This is a developing story. Updates will come as information is available.
