Wisconsin Fire Kills 7, Criminal Inquiry Underway

Seven people died in an apartment fire early Friday in the southern Wisconsin village of Hartland, the police chief said. The cause of the fire at a four-unit apartment complex has not been determined, the AP reports. "This is an active criminal investigation by the Hartland Police Department," said police chief Torin Misko. He did not elaborate on whether investigators suspect the fire was deliberately set. Multiple fire departments and police departments helped evacuate individuals from the building and from balconies. Misko did not have information on whether others were injured.

Local officials said village residents were waiting to hear how they can help. Victims' names have not been released yet, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Ten people were displaced, and the Red Cross was helping three families, a spokesperson said. "For something like this to happen in our village, it's very heartbreaking," trustee Ann Wallschlager said. Hartland is 26 miles west of Milwaukee.

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