37 people displaced after 2 apartment fires on Milwaukee's north side

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Officials with the Milwaukee Fire Department say 37 people are left without a place to live on Milwaukee’s north side after two separate fires on Sunday, June 1.

The first of the two fires broke out around 2 a.m. on Sunday near 87th and Villard. MFD says there were no injuries or hospital transports, however, one man who lived inside the building said a woman was taken to the hospital for her injuries. That same man, who did not want to show his face, said he had to jump out of the apartment building during the fire to save his life.

“Everything I have is in there," the man said as he went to retrieve some of his belongings from inside the apartment. "My back is killing me. At this point I don’t know what to do except get somewhere comfortable."

14 people are displaced from the fire at 87th and Villard. 

The second of the two fires started at 45th and Hampton Ave around 11:40 a.m. MFD says there were no injuries, and that the cause of the fire is under investigation. 23 people are displaced.

S.J. Paterson said he watched the fire happen. He said he lives down the street from the apartment building.

“I just saw a lot,” Paterson said. “The attic burnt, everything.”

Cell phone video from people at both scenes show massive plumes of smoke billowing out of the buildings. 

Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said neither of the buildings involved had sprinklers. 

For residents that need help with assistance, the Red Cross has set up a shelter at St. Paul Lutheran Church along Wisconsin Ave.