Milwaukee Mom in ICU After Throwing 9-Year-Old From Burning Apartment to Save Her; Neighbor Charged With Arson

A Milwaukee mother remains hospitalized in intensive care after she pushed her 9-year-old daughter from a second-floor window to save her during an early-morning apartment fire on Jan. 16. Authorities have since arrested a fellow resident and charged him with multiple felonies in connection with the blaze.

The fire began shortly after 6:30 a.m. at an apartment building on Fardale Avenue near South 27th Street and Loomis Road on the city’s south side. Thick smoke filled the hallway — the only exit from the family’s unit — leaving the mother with no safe route to escape.

Family members and local reports identified the mother as Kessy, 28, and her daughter as Ni’Lah, 9. With smoke and flames blocking the corridor, Kessy reportedly pushed Ni’Lah out of a second-story window to get her to safety. A neighbor who had already exited the building caught the child before she hit the ground.

“She’s pushing her daughter out the second floor. At this point, it’s safer to throw her from the second story on the ground than for her to burn alive,” said Diana Falcon, Ni’Lah’s grandmother.

Ni’Lah was treated at a hospital and later released with a leg injury and minor smoke inhalation. Another child who escaped by jumping from a window suffered a broken pelvis. In total, five people were injured in the fire, with victims ranging in age from 9 to 64; injuries included severe smoke inhalation and lacerations.

Fire crews rescued several residents from second-floor windows as flames and smoke spread. Kessy remains in the intensive care unit, heavily sedated and on a ventilator, according to emergency responders and family statements.

Investigators arrested 44-year-old Keith Luko, a resident of the building, and charged him with eight felonies, including arson, first-degree reckless injury and multiple counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. A criminal complaint states surveillance footage showed Luko removing belongings from the building hours before the fire and leaving the scene as flames erupted.

Prosecutors allege Luko admitted to pouring gasoline in the hallway and igniting it with a lighter, saying he was angry about neighbors smoking marijuana inside the building. An attorney for Luko did not immediately respond to requests for comment after his arrest.

The blaze rendered all eight units in the structure uninhabitable and displaced an estimated 25 residents, the American Red Cross reported. Family members have launched a GoFundMe to help replace lost belongings and support those affected; the fundraiser notes, "In a matter of minutes, everything my sister’s family owned was destroyed. While the lost physical items can be replaced, some were irreplaceable personal items."

Authorities continue to investigate the incident as the community and displaced residents seek assistance and recovery resources.