WAUKESHA — A fire at The Meadows Apartments on Springdale Road Monday afternoon displaced six families and caused more than $200,000 in damage, according to the Waukesha Fire Department.
Resident Alyssa Schnoebelen was at work with her kids when she got the call.
“When I got here, I saw my whole life in flames,” she said. “There’s so much damage. Water everywhere. Debris. From what I saw, everything was gone.”
The Waukesha Fire Department said crews were called around 4:12 p.m. to 2408 Springdale Road, and found two apartments on fire with flames spreading into the attic.
Multiple crews worked quickly to knock down the blaze.
No injuries were reported, and all occupants were able to escape without fire department assistance.
Watch: Waukesha mom loses home in apartment fire days before school starts
Schnoebelen, who has lived in the building with her two children for a year, said the timing makes it especially difficult, given that the start of the school year is just days away.
“You don’t want to know how much I spent at Walmart today just replenishing basics,” she said. “I feel like I’m floating aimlessly right now, trying to figure out what I’m going to do.”
Despite the devastation, she said she is grateful her family is safe.
“I’ve worked so hard for everything I have now, and to see it all gone is hard,” she said. “But I’m so very grateful my kids are okay.”
The fire department thanked mutual aid crews and Waukesha police for their assistance.
Officials also reminded residents about the importance of having working smoke detectors on all floors of their homes.
A friend of Schnoebelen’s has set up a GoFundMe page to help her and some of the other displaced families.
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