Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski reported a hectic 24-hour period for his department, with crews responding to 17 fires citywide. This included six structure fires and eight vehicle fires.
Three of those vehicle fires occurred overnight on the city’s east side at the intersection of Oakland and Belleview. The blazes broke out shortly after 1 a.m., with an arsonist intentionally igniting the hoods of three empty cars before fleeing the scene.
Residents were jolted awake by loud popping sounds resembling a campfire, followed by intense light and heat filling their bedrooms. Several described seeing massive fireballs illuminating the night sky. Firefighters had to use chainsaws to cut through the hoods of the burning vehicles — two of them SUVs — to reach and extinguish the engine fires.
By Thursday morning, the charred remains of the vehicles were still parked along Belleview, with one showing a smashed windshield. Neighbors believe all three cars belonged to the same person.
Charlotte Hughes, who has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years, said she was stunned by the incident, noting that nothing like this had ever occurred there before.
Milwaukee police have confirmed the fires were deliberate and are actively searching for the suspect. No arrests have been made. Authorities are urging anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact police.