Candle, Electronics At Source Of Waukesha Apartment Fire

WAUKESHA, WI — The apartment fire that killed two people and left more without a home started in a lower unit, the Waukesha Police Department announced Wednesday.

The fire started in the living room of a first-floor apartment near the wall that separates the kitchen and living room, Assistant Fire Chief Joe Hoffman said in a statement.

Though the cause of the fire is unknown, investigators found that a candle and electronics for cable and internet services were used in the place the fire broke out, Hoffman added.

Kevin McQuade, 50, and Kimberly McQuade, 51, both died after fire gutted the apartments at 1211 Lambeth Road, officials said. Kevin died on scene and Kimberly died after being taken to a local hospital.

Fire services were delayed by five minutes after a computer dispatch system didn't send alerts to nearby fire stations when fire started early Tuesday morning, officials said. A staff member at a dispatch building had to alert firefighters manually.

Both the Waukesha Fire Department and the Waukesha Police Department are investigating the cause of the fire.

Related:

• Waukesha Apartment Fire: Find Fundraisers To Support Victims
• Fatal Waukesha Fire: Software Error Delayed Response, Police Say
• Daughter Hosts Fundraiser After Parents Die In Waukesha Fire
• 1 Dead After Fire Destroyed Waukesha Home, Injured 4: WFD