2 hurt in Milwaukee apartment fire; more than 300 in Wisconsin displaced by fires since Thanksgiving

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - The Red Cross is assisting several families after an early morning apartment fire on Fountain Avenue in north west Milwaukee.

More than 60 Milwaukee firefighters worked to put the flames out Tuesday morning, Dec. 28.

This is one of several fires the department has responded to this month.

"I was like this is a lot of smoke, this must've been burning for quite a while," Malik Franklin said.

Two people are hurt, including one man who was pulled from a second story window.

"That individual suffered serious burns. That patient was transported to Saint Mary's," deputy chief Erich Roden said.

Roden said more than three apartments are damaged, but fire crews were able to work quickly enough to prevent the entire building from burning.

"We have had several fires in recent days that have definitely tested us and proven our training is very effective. We made some very effective rescues. We're all very proud of our firefighters," he said.

The Red Cross is taking care of seven people, including two children, from four units. That number is expected to increase.

Spokesperson Justin Kern said the Red Cross has responded to dozens of fires just in the last month.

"Right now we are trending at more than two and a half fires a day around the state," Kern said.

More than 300 people have been displaced in the state since Thanksgiving.

"It is definitely the busy season. It is acutely affecting Milwaukee and I think it's the kind of thing where this might be the start of what's to come for the next couple of weeks here," Kern said.

The Milwaukee Fire Department is still working to determine the cause of the fire.