Officials stress importance of working smoke alarms after 3 deadly fires in less than 2 weeks

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The city of Milwaukee has seen three deadly fires in less than two weeks.

A 72-year-old man was killed in a Jan. 28 fire at the Burnham Hill apartments. The blaze left more than 100 people homeless.

A Feb. 5 fire near 19th and Burnham claimed the life of a 55-year-old woman, and a 57-year-old man died Tuesday, Feb. 9 in a house fire near 21st and Scott.

There have been three other nonfatal fires just between Feb. 9-10. 

In response, city leaders and the fire department shared important safety information Wednesday. 

They stressed the importance of having a working smoke alarm and reminded people to test it once a month and replace the batteries twice a year.

"The fact remains, this single piece of equipment here is going to allow the civilians to help themselves more than any others," said Acting Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. 

"You got to have working smoke alarms on your properties," said Alderwoman JoCasta Zamarripa. "Whether you own a large apartment building or a single-family or a duplex. You must have working smoke alarms."

You can also call to have a smoke detector installed by contacting the Milwaukee Fire Department at 414-286-8980.

It's a bilingual hotline for Spanish and English speakers.