SHOREWOOD, Wis. — No injuries were reported after a unit caught fire in an eight-unit apartment building on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood Wednesday evening.
North Shore Fire/Rescue said in a statement a 911 caller reported an oven fire that was getting larger and spreading to the rest of the kitchen, at the apartment building at Capitol Drive and Larkin Street around 7 p.m.
Arriving firefighters found smoke and fire showing from the second-floor window. Residents outside said everyone was able to evacuate before crews arrived.
Inside the building firefighters found heavy smoke and moderate heat. They were able to put the fire out quickly, according to the statement.
Both the initial unit and the unit below are currently untenable at this time due to damage. The fire department estimates damage is about $58,000. Residents to all but those two units returned to their homes.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but firefighters do not believe it to be suspicious. Investigators say early indications show the resident tried to put the fire out with a commercial fire extinguisher but realized the fire was growing, and so they helped fellow residents get out of the building - "likely preventing potential injury and entrapment to others," according to North Shore Fire.
