A devastating fire broke out early Sunday morning, May 11, 2025, at a four-story apartment building in Milwaukee’s Concordia neighborhood, resulting in four fatalities and numerous injuries. The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the five-alarm blaze before 8 a.m., deploying approximately 30 fire trucks to the scene. Firefighters rescued 30 individuals using ladders, while medics provided immediate care to victims, some of whom were seen receiving CPR outside the building.
The building, constructed prior to 1974, lacked a working sprinkler system, as it was not legally required to have one under existing regulations. Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski emphasized that the absence of sprinklers contributed to the severity of the incident, stating, “Nobody was required to go back and make that building fire safe. And you result with this today.”
The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents, and an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. This tragedy underscores the critical need for updated fire safety regulations to protect residents in older buildings.
