You have probably heard about the two major fires in the area today — one near downtown Milwaukee and the other in Oak Creek.
South Milwaukee played a role in fighting both.
Here is the update from Acting South Milwaukee Fire Chief Joe Knitter …
Earlier today (around 10:30), SMFD responded on a MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) Box Alarm – 2nd level called by Milwaukee Fire to standby at Milwaukee FD’s Engine 7 firehouse on Chase and Euclid Avenues. This is the 2nd time in history that we have assisted the MFD to protect their city. This time, MFD was fighting the 5-alarm fire on 12th & Vleit Streets. While there, our engine took an EMS call for MFD.
At about noon, the Oak Creek Fire had a working fire in an garage attached to a house that went to a MABAS Box Alarm level due to the heat and limited resources resulting from the Milwaukee fire. Our ladder truck responded to that scene since we had sufficient response from our off duty personnel and could provide the apparatus and stil maintain coverage inour city. You may have seen on the news that there may be some relationship between the owner of the store that burned in Milwaukee and the owner of the house in Oak Creek. At this time, this is what Channel 58 is reporting. The State Fire Marshall’s Office and the Milwaukee office of the ATF are investigating both fires with assistance from local investigators. I have made myself available to the investigation team and have been in contact with the Investigators and may very well be assisting tomorrow when the team assembles again.
I’ll keep you posted on this strange potential connection.
Here is the Oak Creek Patch story. Here is the Channel 58 story, and here is coverage from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
South Milwaukee Blog 