Milwaukee School Blaze
Massive 5-Alarm Fire Destroys Lincoln Avenue School on Milwaukee's South Side Early Tuesday
Anonymous
Key Points
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The fire's escalation timeline was rapid: a 2:59 a.m. initial alarm was upgraded to a full structure fire by 3:04 a.m., with the incident later reaching a 5-alarm status by 4:33 a.m., and the blaze burned for at least two hours.
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responders deployed a substantial interagency effort: about 31 fire department units and roughly 110 firefighters from Milwaukee and neighboring departments including West Allis, Greenfield, and Greendale.
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There is a discrepancy in the reported school address: some outlets list 1871 West Lincoln Ave., while others cite 1817 W Lincoln Ave.
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Firefighters initially attacked the blaze from inside but encountered hallways packed with stored goods, forcing an early withdrawal and a defensive posture using exterior ladders.
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Fire officials confirmed at the scene that all areas of the building were aflame, underscoring the severity of the incident.
A five-alarm fire ripped through Lincoln Avenue School on Milwaukee's south side early Tuesday, June 30, sending flames and black smoke visible for miles across the city. The blaze started just before 3:00 a.m. and burned for at least two hours, drawing roughly 110 firefighters to the 132-year-old building at 1817 W. Lincoln Ave., according to CBS 58.
A security guard inside the building escaped unharmed. No firefighters were injured. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire, and authorities warned residents to stay away from the area.
Fire Jumped from One Alarm to Five in 90 Minutes
The initial alarm came in at 2:59 a.m. By 3:04 a.m., arriving crews upgraded it to a full structure fire. Firefighters tried to attack the blaze from inside, but hallways packed with stored goods blocked their path. They pulled back within minutes, WTMJ reported.
By 4:33 a.m., incident commanders declared a fifth alarm. That brought in mutual aid from West Allis, Greenfield, and Greendale. About 31 fire units were on scene at peak. Fire Chief Aaron Lipski confirmed at 5:14 a.m. that crews had fully shifted to a defensive attack, fighting the fire from outside using aerial ladders, according to CBS 58.
No Sprinklers, Packed Hallways, and 107-Degree Heat Index
The school had no sprinkler system. Chief Lipski said that gave the fire a major head start.
No Sprinklers and Stored Goods Doomed the Interior Attack
Lincoln Avenue School had no sprinkler system. Under Wisconsin law, buildings built before 1974 are not required to install them unless they undergo major renovations, FOX6 News reported. Chief Lipski said at the scene: "The lack of sprinklers allowed the fire to get a massive head start on our crews."
Extreme heat made conditions even worse. A National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning was in effect, with a heat index projected to hit 107 degrees by mid-morning. Crews rotated out every 15 minutes to avoid heat exhaustion, according to WAOW.
132-Year-Old School Served 427 Low-Income Students
Lincoln Avenue School was built in 1894. It serves about 427 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. About 92% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and 82.7% are Hispanic or Latino, according to MPS data. School is out for summer, but the building hosted a Community Learning Center providing childcare.
Milwaukee Recreation announced by 7:30 a.m. that the Community Learning Center would move to Hayes Bilingual School at 971 W. Windlake Ave. through July 31, according to jsonline.com. Utility provider We Energies cut power to the block for safety, leaving 128 homes and businesses without electricity during the heat emergency.
Sprinkler Debate Reignites as Building's Future Remains Unclear
The fire puts a spotlight on a stalled state proposal — LRB 4075 — that would set aside $10 million to retrofit older buildings with sprinklers. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and other Republican leaders have resisted such mandates, calling them too costly, CBS 58 reported.
Investigators must wait for the building to cool and for structural engineers to assess the walls before entering. Repairing or replacing an 1894 historic school could cost tens of millions of dollars, according to WTMJ. Mayor Cavalier Johnson urged residents to avoid the area and called the fire a reminder of Milwaukee's aging infrastructure problem.
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