A Milwaukee family lowered an infant from a second-floor window in a car-seat carrier during a fire on Feb. 1, with neighbor Anthone Medina standing below to catch the baby. The Milwaukee Fire Department rescued eight people, and two residents were treated for leg injuries after jumping. Officials say the building reportedly lacked sprinkler systems; the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Milwaukee Family Lowers Baby In Car Seat From Burning Building — Neighbor Catches Infant Below
Front right of Fire Engine setting up for a structure fire.Getty
A Milwaukee family used quick thinking to get an infant out of a burning apartment on Sunday, Feb. 1, lowering the child from a second-floor window in a car-seat carrier as neighbors and firefighters worked to evacuate the building.
Local ABC affiliate WXOW reported that the car seat appeared to be suspended by a tow strap as the baby was guided down. Neighbor Anthone Medina stood below to catch the child and assisted rescuers as smoke and flames spread through the structure near 77th and Green Tree Avenue.
Rescue Amid Heavy Smoke
Video obtained by WISN showed heavy smoke filling the building. Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) Battalion Chief Nickolas Trost described a chaotic scene: “We knew there were a lot of people potentially still inside. We had people hanging from outside of windows,” Trost told WXOW.
“Since they didn’t arrive immediately, we tried to save the baby’s life by lowering him down with a blanket to get him to safety,”
— Anthone Medina, translated from Spanish to English
Firefighters ultimately removed eight people from the building, and all are expected to survive, the MFD said. Two residents suffered leg injuries after jumping from the structure to escape the flames.
Firefighting Challenges And Next Steps
The MFD reported that the building lacked built-in sprinkler protection. Trost said the heaviest portion of the fire was on the first-floor hallway, which forced some occupants to use alternate escape routes. Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told ABC 7 Chicago that several city departments are coordinating to create a database to help dispatchers identify buildings without sprinkler systems.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. PEOPLE and local outlets cited MFD reports and eyewitness video; the Milwaukee Fire Department was contacted for further comment.
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