It started like any other Sunday morning. Some families were preparing breakfast. Others were getting ready for church. Children were still half-asleep in their pajamas.
But by the time the sun had fully risen over Milwaukee, black smoke was billowing from the windows of the Highland Court Apartments, and the lives of hundreds of residents had been changed forever.
On Monday, city officials confirmed that a fifth person had died from the massive fire that broke out on Mother’s Day, May 11. What began as a terrifying emergency is now a full-blown tragedy—and a community is left grieving, questioning how this could have happened.
A Morning of Terror
The fire started shortly before 8 a.m. in the four-story apartment building near 27th Street and Highland Boulevard. Within minutes, thick smoke had filled the hallways. Alarms rang out. People screamed.
“There was no time,” said one resident, Ashley Carter, who lived on the third floor with her two daughters. “The smoke just kept coming. I grabbed my kids and ran.”
Others weren’t so lucky. Many residents—some elderly or disabled—were trapped inside, unable to make it to safety. Dozens were rescued by firefighters using ladders. Some were forced to jump from windows to escape the flames.
One man caught a baby tossed from a third-story window.
“I didn’t even think. I just held out my arms,” said Carlos White, who had been visiting a friend in the building when the fire broke out. “That little baby… I can still feel them in my hands.”
Lives Lost
Five lives have now been confirmed lost in the fire:
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Torrell Coleman, 40
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Verna Richards, 62
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Mark Chaffin, 76
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Maureen Green, 67
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An unidentified woman who died trying to escape in a hallway
Some victims were found together in their units, unable to flee fast enough. Others were discovered near exits, doors just beyond reach.
What’s worse, many of the residents say they didn’t hear alarms—or heard them too late.
No Sprinklers. No Way Out.
The Highland Court Apartments, built in 1968, were not equipped with a sprinkler system. At the time of construction, fire suppression systems weren’t required by law—and they still aren’t required to be retrofitted into older buildings.
Fire Chief Aaron Lipski didn’t mince words when speaking to reporters.
“We were far, far outmatched,” he said. “If this building had sprinklers, we likely wouldn’t be talking about five people dying.”
That reality has stirred anger and frustration. Residents and advocates are now calling for immediate changes to building safety regulations across Milwaukee.
Displaced and Devastated
Around 200 people have been displaced. Everything they owned—gone.
“We don’t have anything,” said Patricia Banks, 59, who lost her home of 12 years in the fire. “I left barefoot. I didn’t even grab my purse.”
The American Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter and is providing food, blankets, and emotional support. Dozens of families spent the night on cots inside a makeshift dormitory at a nearby community center.
Some have nowhere to go. Others are sleeping in their cars.
“I just keep replaying it all in my head,” one survivor said. “The screaming, the smoke, the heat. I thought I was going to die.”
What Comes Next?
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Milwaukee Police Department and federal agencies are working to determine exactly how the blaze started.
But for many residents, answers can’t come fast enough.
“How could this happen in 2025?” asked Greg Simmons, whose grandmother lived on the second floor and barely made it out. “We have smart phones and electric cars, but people are still dying in fires because their building doesn’t have sprinklers?”
The city is expected to review its fire safety policies in light of the tragedy.
A Community in Mourning
As the smoke clears and investigators comb through the rubble, the grief lingers.
Teddy bears and candles now line the sidewalk in front of the charred building. Neighbors, friends, and total strangers have stopped by to leave flowers, notes, and tears.
On a day that was supposed to be filled with love and celebration, a community instead found itself asking why.
And now, in the wake of one of the city’s deadliest fires in recent memory, one thing is heartbreakingly clear: Milwaukee won’t be the same.
“We’ve lost more than just a building,” said Carlos White. “We’ve lost people. We’ve lost peace. We’ve lost a sense of safety. And that’s going to take time to rebuild.”
