Dec. 01--Three families will have to move funeral services for their loved ones after a fire Friday night swept through the Schramka-Borgwardt Funeral Home in West Allis, causing a quarter-million dollars damage.
Three bodies in a refrigeration unit were unharmed by the fire, and immediately were moved to a sister funeral home pending notification of families and other arrangements being made, spokeswoman Lisa Marshall said Saturday morning.
"Any services associated with anyone in our care at that location will be rescheduled at other funeral homes the families choose, and will be posted at our website, www.dignitymemorial.com," Marshall said. "We anticipate no interruption in any way for the families. Right now, we are very focused on taking care of the families."
Marshall said it was a blessing that the bodies in the funeral home's care were not damaged by the blaze, and that no one else was inside the funeral home at 1603 S. 81st St. when the blaze broke out.
West Allis Assistant Fire Chief Gary Streicher said the fire may have started around the stack of the crematorium that runs from the first floor to the second floor and through the roof. The fire investigation hasn't been completed, though, he said.
Fire officials estimated $250,000 in damages to the 88-year-old building.
When firefighters arrived at about 9:45 p.m. Friday, flames were visible from multiple windows on the second floor, Streicher said.
Fire engines had just cleared a gas leak at a McDonald's restaurant on S. 83rd and Greenfield Ave., about five blocks away, so arrived at the scene within a minute or two, he said.
Because the upstairs of the building is well constructed and divided into numerous offices, firefighters had to spend additional time chasing spot fires after the main blaze was extinguished, he said. Firefighting units from South Milwaukee, Brookfield, Greenfield, Franklin and Greendale assisted at the scene and provided backup coverage for the city.
The Schramka-Borgwardt Funeral Home in West Allis is one of seven funeral homes in the Milwaukee metro area owned by Service Corp. International in Houston, Tex.
The Schramka and Borgwardt names have been associated with funeral home services for more than 100 years, Marshall said.
The sister facility that took over the care of bodies at the fire-damaged location is on Appleton Ave.
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