MILWAUKEE — Two children were rescued from a burning home on Milwaukee's north side Thursday morning after one child was found hanging from a third-floor window as flames tore through the house.
The fire broke out just after 8:30 a.m. on the 3300 block of North Buffum Street near Townsend, destroying a home that had been in the family for decades.
"A child was hanging out of the front window of that third-floor attic space. Crews showed up on scene, getting ladders up to that front porch, and thankfully they were able to get both kids out of the building," said Christopher Brown, battalion chief with the Milwaukee Fire Department.
Both children were taken to the hospital and are said to be doing well.
For their mother, Courtney Turrentine, relief quickly turned to heartbreak as she returned to find her home destroyed. Turrentine was an hour away at work when she received the call that firefighters couldn't find her youngest child.
Watch: Milwaukee mother thankful her children survived but devastated after family home burns down
"They said they couldn't find my baby because he's not verbal. I'm just glad they found my baby. I'm glad they got both my babies out," said Turrentine.
Inside the home, almost nothing was salvageable. Turrentine was able to pull just a few personal items from the wreckage.
"I grabbed my passport and my wallet. My daddy's urn. That's what I came here for," said Turrentine.
Family members say the house has been in their family since 1970 and is now unlivable.
"This has been my mom's home since 1970. We've been living here. I don't know what to do or where to go right now," said Dennis Jackson, Turrentine's uncle.
With no clear plan yet, the family is focused on starting over.
"My boys don't have no clothes. Everything is underneath all this stuff," said Turrentine.
"I'm already working 16 hours a day, trying, trying, trying, trying, trying, and I ain't got nothing now," said Turrentine.
"I was extremely blessed to have had what I had and to see it all gone. I don't have nothing," said Turrentine.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The family needs clothing, basic necessities and financial support. They have set up a GoFundMe page, HERE—> https://gofund.me/a20809126 if you can donate anything to help them recover.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
