Two people hurt in Green Bay apartment fire; 40 others displaced

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Dozens of people are being helped by the Red Cross after a fire damaged a 24-unit apartment in Green Bay.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but it’s believed to have started in the basement. Two people, including a firefighter, ended up hurt.

“Pretty chaotic scene when crews arrived,” said Green Bay Metro Fire Department Lt. Nick Craig.

A fire at the August Manor Apartments on the 1800 block of August Street left dozens without a home.

Two people were hurt and taken to a local hospital, including a firefighter who has since been released. The Red Cross says a total of 40 people were impacted and 22 people used a local church as a shelter.

“We opened the shelter up to provide a place to stay but also provide some of the simple essentials,” said Rebecca Rockhill, the Executive Director at the American Red Cross.

Fire officials say there were several people trapped in their apartments.

“People were calling from inside the building saying, hey I can’t get out, the hallway is just completely filled with smoke. Firefighters are going to have to come get me,” Lt. Craig.

Lt. Craig says at least five people were pulled from second-story windows and once the smoke cleared more people came out of the building.

“Luckily they heeded the smoke alarms which is a little bit difficult in the apartment setting, where you hear those go off, you peek out your door and nothing’s going on and you go back to your apartment, but a fair amount of people did listen to those alarms,” Lt. Craig.

This wasn’t the only emergency Green Bay Metro firefighters were called to. They also received calls about a propane leak and a cooking fire all within a 15-minute window.

They also helped provide mutual aid during Tuesday’s fire at Rowleys Bay Resort in Ellison Bay. The American Red Cross also stretched thin, and always looking for more volunteers.

“We this time of year with the Hawaii wildfires, as well as Hurricane Adalia, some fires that are still taking place out in the California region, the floods we’ve had out on the east coast, we have quite a few people deployed out in those areas as well,” said Rockhill.

The Red Cross will be helping with shelter for the victims as long as needed. Officials are reminding everyone to make sure you have working fire alarms.

“We’re rolling into the fall and winter season, that tends to be when we have more fires, having those working alarms and making it out alive of an apartment or home are cut in half without a working smoke alarm,” said Lt. Craig.

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