21 tenants displaced after apartment fire in Kenosha Saturday afternoon

 

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — 21 tenants were displaced after a fire broke out at a Kenosha apartment complex on Saturday afternoon.

Kenosha Fire Department officials first responded to a call around 4:30 p.m. to a building by 89th St. and 39th Ave.

When they arrived, crews immediately saw the fire was bigger than anticipated, leading them to call for more backup in an overall larger defensive response.

Flames had already breached the roof and were heading into the attic spaces of the 15-unit complex, according to KFD Battalion Chief Norman Hoening.

It took several more hours into the evening for the fire to be contained, as windy conditions kept the flames blazing.

“Because of the combustible materials, the wind was fueling it pretty good. Once it was in the attic space and the air got to it, it really fueled the fire and the wind just pushed it quick throughout the roofline,” Hoening told CBS 58.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported but the complex is now considered a total loss.

“I looked out the window and I thought it was fog, so I looked over that way and then I saw the smoke and the fire lights and then when I looked at the building, it was all coming out,” said Dennis Phillips, who lives in the next-door complex.

CBS 58 spoke with several affected tenants who said they were concerned about their pets and belongings as they weren’t allowed to go back inside.

“Thank god the smoke detectors were working. Smoke detectors are very key to this, they were actively going off when we arrived. They did alert the occupants early, so they actually went door-to-door and did an evacuation,” Hoening said. “That’s probably the most important thing, once out, grab really yourself and get out as quickly as you can.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.