KENOSHA — Families who lived for years inside an apartment building on 43rd Avenue are now searching for somewhere to sleep after a kitchen fire forced everyone out.
The fire broke out Thursday and quickly spread beyond a single unit, destroying four apartments and heavily damaging the stairwell. Officials later deemed all 14 units uninhabitable.
Firefighters used ladders to rescue four residents trapped inside. Two people were taken to the hospital.
For residents like Doris Cano, the moments were chaotic.
“My son yelled, ‘mom, there’s a fire,’ and when I opened the door the hallway was already filled with smoke,” Cano said. “I just wanted to make sure all the tenants were okay.”
Cano has lived in the building for more than eight years and also served as the property manager. She says the fire changed everything in minutes.
Watch: Kenosha families displaced after apartment fire, now search for housing
“It wasn’t just a small kitchen fire, it expanded to four apartments. Everybody lost where to sleep and where to live," Cano said. "Everybody lost everything.”
Elvira Colin was trapped on the second floor and rescued by firefighters.
“Unfortunately, we left part of our history and our life here," Colin said in Spanish. "I'm grateful wholeheartedly to the fire department and police department for saving our lives. It's just happened so fast, now we have to try to move forward and find a home."
Colin lives alone in Kenosha and says she also lost her job after the fire. A local resident has temporarily opened their home to her, but she does not know what comes next.
Right now, families are relying on help from the American Red Cross, Wagner Family Fire Fund, and Journey Disaster Response. As residents search for long-term options on their own.
“This is just a temporary solution,” Cano said. “We’re trying to find these people a home.”
For families who spent nearly a decade there, rebuilding won’t be easy so they're seeking the community's help.
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