Update (1:45 p.m. EDT): The fire near the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee is now under control, Fire Chief Aaron Lipski confirmed in a text to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. There have been no reported injuries. Officials said the blaze started after a boiler system failure.
Meteorologist Brendan Johnson added on Facebook, "We've learned from the Milwaukee FD that there was a fire in the HVAC air handling system on the roof of the casino. The fire is under control. No injuries, but there is a large amount of smoke."
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Initial report: A massive fire has broken out near the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee. The casino, located on Canal Street, is being evacuated. The street is closed in the area. The hotel itself is not being evacuated.
What caused the fire?
In a Facebook post, the business said the fire is believed to have caused by a boiler system failure on the property.
"There has been a boiler system failure on property that has resulted in a fire. The entire casino is being evacuated. The hotel is on a different system and is not being evacuated at this time," the business said.
Videos surface
{{/usCountry}}"There has been a boiler system failure on property that has resulted in a fire. The entire casino is being evacuated. The hotel is on a different system and is not being evacuated at this time," the business said.
Videos surface
{{/usCountry}}Photos and videos from the scene show heavy smoke and multiple fire crews responding to the incident.
Witness reports
Several witnesses and local residents took to social media to report the fire.
One person wrote on X, "Potawatomi hotel & Casino is currently on fire! Multiple fire trucks and police arriving right now. Check on your people. Stay safe Milwaukee."
Another added, "Just passing Potawatomi it’s on fire. We seen it from the freeway."
A third user reported, "Smoke is billowing out at a good clip when we drove past on the interstate."
Another witness wrote, “A giant fire at @potawatomi_mke is ongoing. Like 15 fire trucks just zoomed by my office on Canal Street.”