'He was a good man': Man dies in house fire on Milwaukee's northwest side
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- One person is dead after a house fire Thursday morning, Feb. 19, on Milwaukee’s northwest side.
The fire broke out just before 2:30 a.m. near North and Grant, according to fire crews, who said several people were inside when the flames started.
Roy Bradford Evans, a neighbor, said he and his wife saw flames. “My wife and I got up and looked out the window, and we could see smoke and flames from the house across the street.”
Most of the family was asleep when the fire started. Dierre Hurse, the victim’s nephew, said, “Everybody was asleep. I was the only one up, me and my brother.”
Willie Parker, who died in the fire, is being remembered by his family as a good man and a supportive uncle.
Hurse said the home’s AC unit was on fire. He said he tried throwing water on it, but the flames spread quickly and thick smoke filled the house.
He said, “I pulled my cousin out the back window. My other little cousins jumped off the top roof and I caught them.”
Hurse said there were eight people inside at the time. He was able to help his cousins escape but said he couldn’t reach his uncle in time.
“You really couldn’t see anything, it was just pitch black. All I did was grab as many people as I could and get them out and there wasn’t any going back up in there. The only people there left were him and his daughter,” Hurse said.
Four people were rescued, and one was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Hurse said, “A few people got a few burns like you see on my hands.”
Hurse said he will remember his uncle for the support he showed him. He said, “I make music and he loved my music, so I’m going to miss that, showing love on the music.”
The rest of the family is safe and staying with relatives.
Fire officials say the home is now unlivable, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.