Two more fires in Milwaukee happen in residences without sprinklers: 'None of that has to happen'

Yahoo

02-06-2025

Two Milwaukee fires on June 1 that displaced nearly 40 people shared a troubling characteristic: no sprinklers.
The lack of sprinklers prompted a call from Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski to address the issue, which has taken on increased prominence following a Mother's Day blaze that killed five people in a four-story apartment with no sprinklers in May.
'It looks like Godzilla took a bite out of both buildings. None of that has to happen,' Lipski said. 'Smoke alarms alert them to the problem; sprinklers allow them to get out.'
Lipski's call to action came after the June 1 fires.
About 25 people were displaced after a fire started at a 14-unit apartment at 4422 W. Hampton Ave. Less than 10 hours before, a four-unit apartment building at 8711 W. Villard Ave. set fire, displacing 14.
Between the two fires, one person was injured and one firefighter had minor injuries. Investigators have yet to determine causes of the two fires, Lipski said.
Lipski said sprinklers would have made a "dramatic difference" in these cases, echoing what he said following the Highland Court apartment fire in May.
Since that fire and Lipski highlighting the issue, the lack of sprinklers in Milwaukee residences like these have come under scrutiny.
That's allowed at these three buildings, and others like them, because of building code rules that allow buildings built before 1974 with certain sizes, shapes, dimensions and occupancy not to have sprinklers. The Hampton Avenue building was built in 1973 and the Villard Avenue apartment in 1962, according to online property records.
On May 28, city officials met to review Milwaukee's sprinkler code, which is dictated by state law. That is due to Act 270, which then-Gov. Scott Walker signed into law 12 years ago and took away the ability of local governments to adopt municipal ordinances that are more restrictive than state law.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel previously reported that many state legislators, who were landlords themselves, helped pass laws around that time that undermined renter's rights.
At the meeting, city officials said they are proposing increasing the number of fire protection inspections to twice a year in response to the Highland fire.
The cost of adding sprinklers to buildings is a frequently cited reason for not requiring them and Lipski has pushed back against that repeatedly. At the meeting, he said it costs about the same as adding new carpet to a unit.
On June 2, Lipski said he was feeling 'OK' about city officials' interest in addressing the issue.
'This has been a problem that's existed since sprinklers existed,' he said. 'It's not hyperbole. It's not fearmongering. It's happening and we got to see if we can fix it. If we try and we fail, then we'll just keep trying.'
Officials estimate between 30,000 and 50,000 Milwaukee residents live in buildings without sprinklers.
Milwaukee Common Council members Andrea Pratt and Mark Chambers Jr., who represent the areas where the June 1 fires occurred, did not immediately respond to Journal Sentinel requests for comment.
The Red Cross opened a temporary shelter at Saint Paul Lutheran Church for tenants of the Humboldt fire, said Jennifer Warren, spokesperson for American Red Cross Wisconsin Region. Four people stayed overnight. Red Cross plans to host a Multi Agency Resource Center to help tenants secure another apartment. No date has been set yet.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two more fires in Milwaukee happen in residences without sprinklers