Milwaukee firefighters go door-to-door with free smoke alarms following this year's first deadly fire
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — The Milwaukee Fire Department is emphasizing the importance of fire prevention and safety, one day after the city's first deadly fire of the year.
A man died in a house fire early Thursday on Milwaukee's west side, on N. Grant Blvd. near North Ave.
Four others were rescued, but the man's family told CBS 58 that he was asleep when the fire started.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson joined Milwaukee firefighters Friday to go door-to-door in the neighborhood, offering to install free smoke alarms for anyone in need.
"I want this neighborhood and I want the rest of Milwaukee to know we are here not just when the day is terrible," said Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Aaron Lipski. "We're here to try to prevent it from becoming terrible."
Firefighters on scene Thursday said the house involved did have at least one working smoke alarm.
"That, I think, was one of the driving factors to help some of the other folks in this residence to find safety," said Mayor Johnson.
However, Chief Lipski said there may not have been one near the victim's room.
"We are really emphasizing a bare minimum of one smoke alarm per level in a home," Lipski said. "But if we can get one into each bedroom, one in the common areas, we'll outfit the homes, no charge."
The Milwaukee Fire Department installed 11,000 free smoke alarms in homes just last year, but Lipski says it's likely half of the residential fires they respond to do not have working smoke alarms.
"I would say we're still probably 50/50, and I'd say where we have fatalities, we typically are finding we don't have smoke alarms," he explained.
Milwaukee residents in need of new smoke alarms or new 10-year batteries can get them for free by calling the Smoke Alarm Hotline at (414) 286-8980.
