Jan. 04--Milwaukee reached a record low for fatal house fires in 2013.
Two people died in house fires last year, compared with eight in 2012 and 11 in 2011. The four fatalities recorded in 2010 had been the lowest annual total since the Milwaukee Fire Department began keeping track of fire fatalities about 55 years ago.
"The key here is education and persistence," Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing said. "With that being said, those in fire service also know that we are one candle from a multifatality fire."
The Milwaukee Fire Department conducts many educational programs, including its Survive Alive House, where more than 13,000 children each year practice fire safety in a model house that replicates smoke and other conditions of a fire.
"What we find out is that college kids and adults, they don't so much listen to our message, but children listen to our message, talk to their older siblings and parents and remind them of something they already know," Rohlfing said.
The department also has an initiative called Firefighters Out Creating Urban Safety to distribute and install free smoke detectors in some areas of the city.
Just as critical as prevention and education are the department's response times for emergency medical service and fire/rescue, Rohlfing said.
"When our firefighters get there very quickly and take very aggressive actions, we can limit damage and we can make a difference," he said.
Mayor Tom Barrett praised the department's efforts.
"We've got dedicated firefighters who have been extremely well-trained. We're proud of the work they've done," Barrett said.
In addition to the two people who died in house fires, the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office concluded that several more people in the city died from other fire-related injuries in 2013:
--In February, a man disabled from a prior stroke fell on a floor register that put out heat, and he died from thermal injuries.
--In March, a man died after his motorcycle caught fire during a crash.
--In December, a 23-year-old man died from injuries he suffered during a 1991 Milwaukee house fire. The man was a toddler at the time and had been playing with matches. He suffered severe injuries that caused lifelong medical problems.
Eight other house fire fatalities were recorded in Milwaukee County in 2013.
Five children in West Allis died in two separate house fires; a 90-year-old woman died in a Shorewood house fire; an 80-year-old man died in a South Milwaukee house fire; and a 69-year-old man died from smoke inhalation in a Cudahy house fire.
The death of educator Ronn Johnson, who was found dead last week inside his burning Brown Deer home, remains under investigation.
Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
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