MILWAUKEE — Two separate fires displaced 37 residents in Milwaukee on Sunday, raising questions about fire safety standards in older apartment buildings that lack sprinkler systems.
The Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) said flames broke out early Sunday morning just after 2 a.m. near 87th and Villard.
Later the same day, at 11:41 a.m., another fire occurred at an apartment complex near 45th and Hampton.
Jensen Tores lives in an apartment next door to the Hampton Avenue building and has friends who live there.
“Smoke first, then a lot of fire,” he said. “I saw people throwing their luggage and equipment out to save what they could.”
The Milwaukee Fire Department confirmed that the two fires displaced 37 people. One firefighter sustained minor injuries, and a resident was also hurt after jumping from a balcony.
“It was terrifying,” Tores said. “Sometimes you want to help but you can’t.”
Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said that neither building had a sprinkler system, a feature he described as essential for safety.
Check out: 37 people displaces after two apartment fires Sunday; no sprinklers in either building
Lipski said the building on Hampton was constructed in 1973, and the one on Villard was built in 1962.
Buildings constructed before 1974 are not required to have sprinklers due to a decades-old grandfather clause in Wisconsin state law, leaving tens of thousands of Milwaukee residents living in buildings without the safety feature.
Changing this requirement would require new legislation from the state government.
“We need sprinklers,” Tores said. “When something like this happens, and firefighters haven’t arrived yet, a sprinkler could start controlling the fire and reduce injuries.”
Earlier this month, a fire in another Milwaukee apartment building without sprinklers near 27th and Highland resulted in five deaths.
A Milwaukee Common Council committee met Wednesday morning to discuss potential city regulations that could incentivize building owners to invest in sprinklers.
One suggestion included requiring buildings without sprinklers to undergo inspections, with fees, twice as frequently as buildings with sprinkler systems.
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski emphasized the importance of this safety measure, noting that adding sprinklers would cost approximately the same as replacing carpet in each unit.
"We need survivable housing. We need survivable housing," Lipski said.
After Sunday’s fires, Lipski repeated his call for policy change, adding in a post on X, "We NEED to stop sacrificing SURVIVABILITY for AFFORDABILITY."
In <10 hours, @MilFireDept responded to TWO 2-Alarm fires in apartment buildings, resulting in trapped occupants, 37 displacements, 1 injured occupant, 1 injured firefighter, & 2 structures that will likely fall off of the tax rolls. Both UNSPRINKLERED! @NFSAorg - details below.
— Aaron Lipski (@alipski1) June 1, 2025
“It’s time for landlords and owners to think about people’s safety, especially when kids live in these buildings,” Tores added.
The Red Cross is currently helping the residents who lost their homes with a welcome center located at St. Paul Lutheran Church at 2812 W. Wisconsin Avenue. Residents can stop by for food, shelter, and other services.
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