What should have been a quiet end to Mother’s Day turned chaotic in Brown Deer when a late-night blaze tore through a Park Plaza condominium building, injuring two residents and one firefighter and leaving about 15 people temporarily homeless. The fire broke out late Sunday, and crews worked well into the night to knock down the flames as stunned neighbors watched from the street.
About 45 firefighters from North Shore Fire Rescue and the Milwaukee Fire Department rushed in after a call just before 11 p.m., finding a first-floor unit already fully engulfed in flames, according to WISN. Drone video shared with the station showed fire shooting from the roofline as crews attacked the blaze from multiple sides. Two residents were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover, and one firefighter was treated and released. Roughly 15 people were displaced, and the American Red Cross was called in to help with emergency needs.
Where the blaze began
Local video captured heavy smoke and flames pouring from the Tudor-style Park Plaza complex on Park Plaza Court near Brown Deer Road as firefighters worked to keep the fire from spreading to neighboring units. North Shore Fire Rescue, the regional department that serves Brown Deer and surrounding communities, was among the agencies on scene and regularly posts press releases and incident updates on its website. Crews reported opening up walls and pulling off siding in order to dig out and extinguish stubborn hot spots through the night.
Investigation and next steps
Fire officials told reporters that the cause is not being treated as suspicious, although investigators remain on site working to determine how and why the fire started, according to WISN. With multiple units damaged or gutted, displaced residents are now turning their attention to short-term housing, insurance claims, and salvaging whatever belongings they can…