A minor fire in West Allis temporarily shut down a daycare on Friday morning, but instead of having the little ones wait out in the cold, an unassuming business owner opened his doors to keep them warm.
According to the West Allis Fire Department, firefighters put down the small fire at the Ebenezer Child Care and La Gran D radio station building around 9:15 a.m. right along Highway 100.
The executive director of the daycare said a heating unit malfunctioned, sparking the small fire. As soon as the building was evacuated, Sammy Bohringer, the owner of Sammy’s Taste of Chicago, allowed the kids and their teachers to stay warm in his restaurant until each child was picked up by a parent.
According to Bohringer, it’s his way of helping the daycare make lemonade out of lemons.
“I never thought of it prior to this, but it seems like this is kind of a natural place for kids anyway," he said.
"Instead of having them stand outside in this cold weather, which is terrible, this became a perfect spot for them to relax until their parents could pick up their kids," Bohringer also said.
The daycare center recently opened in December, and although the building is now temporarily closed, everyone made it out safely. The executive director said she plans to reach out to parents regarding next steps.
