The fire that destroyed Lincoln Avenue School early June 30 has been determined to be accidental, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said, and Milwaukee Public Schools already has taken steps to prevent a similar fire from ever happening again. 

The chief, speaking at a news conference at Fire Department headquarters on Monday, said surveillance video supplied by Milwaukee Public Schools showed that rags containing chemicals for cleaning and waxing floors spontaneously combusted to start the fire. The soiled rags had been placed in a plastic bin at the end of the workday as staff prepared the building for the new school year. 

The video showed smoke rising overnight from the bin, outside room 25 on the second floor, in the northeast corner of Lincoln Avenue School. 

Chief Lipski said that the extreme high temperatures in Milwaukee the week of the fire likely contributed to the combustion. Classroom furniture being placed in hallways to allow for floor cleaning and waxing, and open doorways and windows to dissipate chemical fumes, would have contributed to the fire’s quick spread, the chief said. 

“We have very much appreciated MPS’s immediate and strong support as we worked our way through this process,” Chief Lipski said. “We also appreciate their openness to our suggested operational changes in an effort to prevent an occurrence in any other buildings. Also important to note: They began that process even before we suggested they do so.”

Based on the district’s own review of the video inside, Milwaukee Public Schools officials worked to provide training and update procedures to reduce the risk of fire in the future. That includes the following requirements:

• Rags containing oils or chemicals must be placed in approved metal containers at the end of every shift. 
• Oil-based chemicals can be applied only on days when the temperature is below 85 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• All fire doors must be closed, room doors to be closed and secured, and windows closed where required at the end of each shift. 

MPS will continue to take any further action that might be necessary based on the report.

“I can’t thank Chief Lipski and his entire fire crew enough for their partnership and support during this really difficult time for MPS,” said Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, EdD. 

Dr. Cassellius said the district is working to keep the site of the fire secure and safe for its neighbors, including conducting weekly air-quality tests, which have shown the air is safe. 
 
Also Monday, MPS moved to request bids from companies to demolish the Lincoln school building, which is a total loss after the fire. The district received an initial insurance payment that will fund the work. Demolition would begin in the weeks after a vendor is chosen. 

“This is a major step forward toward the future of the site,” Dr. Cassellius said. “We know our families and staff, and the community, are eager to know what that future will look like. We are, as well, and we will engage all our groups and the entire community as we have those conversations in the near future.”

Meanwhile, work continues on the school-within-a-school move of Lincoln Avenue School to the Pulaski High School building. All Lincoln Avenue programs and resources will be provided there. Transportation will be available, including to families who walked to Lincoln but live too far from Pulaski to walk to school. 

The community has responded generously after the fire, Dr. Cassellius added, through gifts of school supplies and money. Supplies will be distributed to staff the week of August 24 in partnership with the MPS Foundation. The foundation’s Lincoln Avenue School Fund has so far raised more than $25,000; the district will work with the school to determine how best to put the funds toward classroom and staff needs.

The foundation continues to accept monetary donations at mpsfdn.org/donate, and MPS is accepting donations of new school supplies at Central Services, 5225 W. Vliet Street. “Thank you again to all of the individuals who have already generously donated,” Dr. Cassellius said. 

“While this is certainly a unique challenge, it has also shown the incredible resilience of the Lincoln Avenue School community and the broader Milwaukee community. We will get through this together because of the strong community and the strong partnerships that we have,” Dr. Cassellius said. 

At the news conference, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said, “It was a tragedy not just for the school community itself but really for the entire neighborhood.” He noted that thousands upon thousands of people have attended Lincoln Avenue School since it opened about 107 years ago — including himself. 

“Schools like Lincoln are important in so many ways,” he said. “They’re important as spaces where kids come together and have regular contact with their peers. It’s important as an asset in the neighborhood. It’s important as a resource center in the neighborhood; it’s a recreational center in the neighborhood. And certainly, as a landmark on the south side, too. … I’m really hopeful for the future of Lincoln.”