Overview
- An early-morning blaze around 3 a.m. Friday at an eight-unit building on W. Fond du Lac Avenue forced a full evacuation and left about 40 residents displaced.
- Five people jumped from second-floor openings to escape and were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries described as minor.
- Crews rescued six more people using ladders after a rapid response from a firehouse located across the street.
- Fire officials said the building had working smoke alarms but no working sprinklers, while the property manager said two storage-unit sprinklers activated and the building met code.
- Officials reported extreme damage at the rear with heavy smoke and water throughout the structure, utilities were shut off as the building was boarded, limited access was allowed to undamaged units, and the cause remains under review.