WEST ALLIS — Two people safely escaped after a duplex fire in West Allis on Saturday night, according to fire officials.
The West Allis Fire Department said crews were dispatched shortly after 8:10 p.m. to the 1900 block of South 96th Street for a reported residential fire.
Battalion Chief Kyle Novak said firefighters could see heavy smoke in the sky as they were responding.
Crews arrived within about five minutes and began an aggressive attack, bringing the fire under control quickly, Novak said.
“Usually, the first five minutes are very intense, very loud, very bright, and very hot,” Novak said. “But everybody stood back, gave us space, and everybody got to work.”
Officials said one tenant lived in the upper unit and another in the lower unit. All occupants got out before firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported.
“They were grabbing a bunch of equipment, grabbing ladders, and I heard a bunch of beeping,” 9-year-old neighbor, Suki Salgado, said.
“They are very brave, and they save people a lot,” she said.
Damage was limited to the first floor and the exterior of the building, according to the fire department.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Fire officials are reminding residents to make sure smoke detectors are working. West Allis residents who need smoke detectors can contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 414-302-8904.
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