MILWAUKEE — Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire at Aguilar's Welding on the south side Friday afternoon.
The fire was under control at 4:48 p.m., officials said.
It started at about 1:30 p.m. at 1500 W. National Ave.
Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing said everyone got out safely and they’re not aware of any injuries.
They had to attack the building using several hoses from above and the side.
At one point flames were shooting out the building and smoke was seen from far away throughout the city.
In 2017, the building had a number of ordinance violations, including one about fire damage.
The building, which was constructed in 1913, once housed the Milwaukee Sausage Co.
Firefighters worked in extreme heat conditions, with temperatures in the 90s and heat indices approaching 105 degrees.
They were constantly rotating and a local business even offered its uilding so they could go to a place with air conditioning.
“Our rehab is actually down the street inside an air-conditioned building where we’re hydrating and making sure that all the firefighters get adequate rest and they’re OK,” Rohlfing said.
Jessica Valona’s brother owns one of the neighboring businesses. She said the welding company just renovated the building about a year and a half ago.
“They remodel cars there so there’s oil, there’s welding, there’s tires, so it’s a lot of bad things in there and it’s like the perfect storm for a fire,” Valona said.
At this time, no word on a cause.
