MADISON, Wis. — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature are unlikely to require older buildings in the state to install fire sprinklers after a deadly fire claimed five lives in Milwaukee on Sunday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said.
“We want to ensure that, of course, people are safe. But we have to be careful about overreacting to a single or unfortunate incidents like this,” Vos, who owns rental properties himself, said at a press conference on Tuesday. “The last thing that we want to do is to make it even more expensive to own a home or to rent an apartment.”
Democratic Sen. LaTonya Johnson, who represents the district where Sunday’s fire occurred, said she also doesn’t want to see rent prices increase, but she disagreed with Vos on the state’s role in addressing the lack of fire sprinklers.
“Home affordability is an issue, and so he’s right: For most instances, if these sprinkler systems were included, the costs would be passed on to residents, and we’re already talking about rents that individuals can’t afford. But that shouldn’t take priority over saving lives,” Johnson said.
WATCH: Top Republican says new sprinkler requirements unlikely after deadly Milwaukee fire
Since 1974, state law has required buildings taller than 60 feet to install fire sprinkler systems. The Milwaukee apartment building that was engulfed in a five-alarm fire on Sunday was built in 1968, which means it was grandfathered into the building code and never required to install sprinklers.
The issue of retrofitting older buildings with new safety measures has been raised repeatedly after fires in aging buildings. Nearly 70% of Milwaukee’s high-rise buildings were built before 1974, suggesting they may not have sprinkler systems, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski estimated.
“The reality is fire sprinkler systems save lives,” Dan Hereth, secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services, said. “That’s one of the reasons why the governor and this administration worked so hard to expand the number of buildings that fall into fire sprinkler requirements.”
DSPS oversees state building codes. Under Republican-then Gov. Scott Walker, the agency was barred from requiring sprinklers in apartment buildings with at least four units. Under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration, DSPS has expanded the types of buildings required to install sprinklers to include apartments with three or more units.
However, the agency can’t retroactively enforce building codes. That would require action by the Legislature.
“Retrofitting buildings are very expensive, and our codes in Wisconsin are forward-looking codes,” Hereth said.
Johnson said her office is researching how much it would cost to install fire sprinklers in older buildings across the state and that she plans to propose legislation on the topic. She’s also looking at ways the state and local governments can help fund those changes. But without support from Republicans who control the Legislature, any bill would be doomed to fail.
“No one deserves to die, or to be placed in that situation when they’re just looking for a safe place to live,” Johnson said.
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