Soaked Rags Spark School Fire | Milwaukee News

A fire at Lincoln Avenue Elementary, sparked by soaked cleaning rags in plastic bins, forced over 100 firefighters to battle the blaze—officially blamed on human error but fueled by spontaneous combustion. The school, built in 1917, is now being demolished with a $5 million insurance payout, while students relocate to Casimir Pulaski High. Milwaukee Public Schools is rolling out safety upgrades: metal bins, heat-sensitive chemical use, and mandatory closed fire doors. But the real crisis? Most schools lack sprinklers—fixing that could cost $280 million. With aging buildings averaging 85 years old and massive deferred maintenance, the district faces a $50 million rebuild and a looming facilities overhaul. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/45f22e38ede9c5fb