RACINE, Wis. — Two families are without a home Wednesday night after a house fire on Racine's north side.
The Racine Fire Department responded to the fire at 1116 Nelson Court shortly after 12 p.m. Wednesday.
A parent called 911 to report the fire and evacuated both upper and lower apartments, fire officials say.
Crews found the building evacuated upon arrival and fire coming from a second story bedroom window.
No injuries were reported during the incident, however, due to sub-zero wind chill conditions, Racine Fire Department Rescue Squads transported the eight tenants to the COP (Community Oriented Policing) House on Geneva Street.
The home is a a two-story, two-family residence, fire officials say. A mother and two teenage daughters lived upstairs and a family of five, including three children under the age of three, lived in the lower apartment.
Red Cross is assisting the families.
Officials say damage estimates exceed the assessed value of $68,000.
The cause of fire remains under investigation.
"A recurring lesson learned again at this fire is that Renter’s Insurance may seem like a $13 expense to cut from a family’s monthly budget until the unthinkable happens and all of your belongings go up in smoke," a news release states.
