Six people died in an apartment fire that ignited early Friday morning in Wisconsin, officials said.
The blaze erupted at 5:11 a.m. at a four-family apartment building at 704 Mansfield Court in Hartland, a suburb of Milwaukee, the Hartland Police Department said in a news conference.
First responders were met with “a large amount of fire” and began rescuing people from the building and its balconies.
Hartland Police Chief Torin Misko said that six people died. Authorities initially reported seven fatalities.
The process of identification and notification of next of kin was ongoing Friday afternoon, he said.
It not clear if the fatalities were in one unit or throughout the building.
Officials did not immediately release how many people lived in the building or how many may have been injured.
A total of 15 fire departments and nine police departments responded to help provide aid and secure the building.
Misko said the fire is under an “active criminal investigation” but no further details on a possible cause were released.
“This is a tragic incident for the community and for the first responders involved,” Misko said. “We ask that the community respect the privacy of the families.”
The State Fire Marshal’s office is also investigating the incident along with the Wisconsin Crime Lab and Waukesha Sheriff’s Office.
