UPDATE at 4:20 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2024: The City of Waukesha Fire Department determined that the cause of the apartment fire on Kensington Dr. was “likely electrical in nature.”
Fire officials said they conducted interviews with the tenants and witnesses, and concluded that the fire was not suspicious in nature. The injured firefighter from Sussex is doing well and did not need to be treated at the hospital.
WAUKESHA, Wis. — An apartment fire displaced multiple people and injured a firefighter Sunday afternoon.
City of Waukesha Fire Department and about 20 other fire departments responded to West Grove on the Lake on Kensington Dr. near St. Paul Ave. at 2:40 p.m.
Of the 16 units, several were a total loss and others sustained smoke and water damage.
Fire officials said windy and dry conditions on Sunday caused the fire to spread rapidly.
Of the nearly 100 firefighters from nearby communities who responded, one suffered a minor injury related to heat stress. That individual was treated on scene.
City of Waukesha said no residents were injured but the the fire department is still determining how many have been displaced. One cat died and another cat was unaccounted for as of Sunday.
Videos and photos of the fire. It destroyed the entire building in under 10 minutes. Dozens of people displaced, apartment is a total loss. https://t.co/0fLnQFIZYQ pic.twitter.com/qEXvD3JUAR
— Waukesha Alerts (@WaukeshaAlerts) October 20, 2024
The fire department said the 50-year-old building had a fire alarm system but no sprinkler system. It was constructed in 1974 — before codes required fire sprinklers to be installed.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials said it appears to have started on the exterior of the building and extended through the eves into the attic.
Sunday was a high fire risk day with high winds and low humidity.
The Red Cross and Apartment Management are working with residents impacted by the fire.
