MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee police are searching for a suspect in an arson case after a fire at a north side apartment complex forced nearly 200 people from their homes.
At least seven people were injured in the blaze, including an 81-year-old woman who was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
The Department of Neighborhood Services says the fire significantly damaged nine units in the New Hampton Gardens apartment complex near 24th and Hampton, requiring an entire wing of the building to be shut down.
The closure means 51 units are unlivable and 188 people are homeless, with some now living in a Red Cross shelter.
Watch: City records detail missing extinguishers, smoke detector issues two weeks before apartment fire
An investigation by our Lighthouse team uncovered that a lack of fire sprinklers wasn’t the only safety issue at the complex.
Back in late November, city records show inspectors with D.N.S. identified missing fire extinguishers in three different areas of the apartment complex, including one missing fire extinguisher on the same floor where the fire started.
Inspectors also found that smoke detectors in six different units weren't properly functioning, with three of those on the floor where the fire occurred.
Duncan Mason was on the second floor helping his disabled and elderly mother when he heard the alarms.
"When I opened that door up, I couldn't see. It was smoke. I said, well, we've got to go in the opposite direction," Mason said. "We had to have help because she was in a wheelchair; she can't walk."
Mason, a former firefighter, said he already knew the fire extinguisher next to his mother's unit was missing.
"I was a firefighter. I see fire boxes. If there's not a fire extinguisher there, it's missing. There's a box there for a reason," Mason said.
Inspectors gave the building owner a month to correct the violations, but when D.N.S. returned in late December, the building was still not in compliance, and the case was elevated to municipal court.
DNS told TMJ4 that the property passed its annual fire inspection on September 11, 2025, meaning the fire extinguishers were removed after this inspection.
The building owner is an LLC called New Hampton Apartments with a listed address in Washington state. When contacted by phone, the person who answered immediately hung up after learning why we were calling.
As crews board up windows and the restoration process begins, Mason said his mother now has to temporarily live in a shelter.
"At least come here and fix what you can fix," Mason said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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