Apartment fire displaces residents

Wednesday, May 2, 2007 2:29 AM CDT

Apartment fire displaces residents

By Janine Anderson

Journal Times

WIND LAKE - Residents of an apartment building near the Racine/Waukesha county line have been displaced, after a fire destroyed their units early Tuesday morning.

The eight-unit apartment building at 23910 W. Loomis Road is still standing, but will likely be a total loss, said Wind Lake Fire Chief Tim Halter.

Halter lives close to the apartment building, he said, and was on the scene within a minute of the call at 1:09 a.m. When he got there a passerby was knocking on doors to get people out of the apartments. Seven of the eight apartments were occupied, Halter said.

Fire department personnel were on scene for nearly six hours fighting the fire. Mutual aid was called in from Raymond, Tichigan and Kansasville in Racine County, Big Bend, Tess Corners, Muskego and New Berlin in Waukesha County and Franklin in Milwaukee County, primarily for additional personnel and tankers. There are no hydrants in the area, and all water must be brought in on tankers.

"I think it's going to end up being an accidental cause," Halter said. "The fire started, as far as we can tell, in an upper unit of the apartment complex. I would say the building would be inhabitable. I would deem it almost a total loss. It's all standing, but with the upper floors being pretty much burned out, the interior stuff has all fallen in."

The Racine County Fire Investigation Task Force is investigating.

Halter said the American Red Cross sent a bus to the scene that night to provide displaced residents with a place to stay until they made other arrangements.

The Red Cross has sent a casework team to see if the building's residents need assistance, said Shannon Hext, public support coordinator for the Red Cross. She said they will be meeting with about 15 people to offer help for emergency needs like clothing, food and shelter. They will provided assistance through recovery and transitioning into new apartments.

Love Inc., the Burlington-based social services agency, will also provide assistance.

"Our doors are open to them, whatever they need," said Bill Schoessling, executive director of Love Inc.

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