(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — An early morning fire at Amazon’s HMW3 fulfillment center in Kenosha forced the evacuation of approximately 360 employees Friday, prompted a massive multi-agency emergency response, and temporarily left first responders scrambling to account for several workers believed to still be inside the smoke-filled warehouse, according to the Kenosha Fire Department and scanner audio reviewed by Kenosha County Eye.
The fire was reported at 2:01 a.m. at the Amazon HMW3 warehouse, 10601 38th Street, after dispatchers received reports of an active fire accompanied by water-flow alarms.
The first Kenosha Police Department officers on scene confirmed smoke inside the building. According to scanner audio, arriving officers immediately began interviewing Amazon employees in an effort to locate the fire before firefighters entered the massive warehouse. Employees directed officers toward what they described as “rack 175” on the east side of the building before another employee refined the location to the center of the warehouse near the north end.
Firefighters arrived to heavy smoke conditions as employees were already evacuating. Scanner audio captured one officer relaying that an employee reported the fire was actively spreading despite the building’s sprinkler system operating.
As firefighters prepared to make entry, crews reported heavy smoke pushing out of the east side of the building. Command directed incoming apparatus to enter through the west-side security gate to reach the fire, while firefighters requested a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT), a dedicated rescue crew assigned to assist firefighters if one becomes trapped or injured during interior operations.
Firefighters immediately launched an aggressive interior attack using multiple hose lines while simultaneously conducting ventilation operations. Officers from the Kenosha Police Department worked alongside Amazon management to ensure employees were evacuated and accounted for.
The warehouse’s automatic sprinkler system played a critical role in slowing the fire’s spread. Firefighters credited the sprinkler system with helping contain the blaze while suppression operations continued.
At 2:33 a.m., the battalion chief upgraded the response by requesting a MABAS Structure Fire Box Alarm, bringing additional mutual aid resources into Kenosha.
Responding departments included:
- Paris Fire Department
- Newport Fire Department
- Oak Creek Fire Department
- Pleasant Prairie Fire Department
Air boats from the Fox Lake and Lake Villa Fire Protection Districts were also requested to assist with smoke ventilation.
Meanwhile, neighboring departments staffed Kenosha fire stations to maintain emergency coverage throughout the city. Those agencies included:
- Somers Fire Department
- Lake Villa Fire Protection District
- Antioch Fire Department
- Waukegan Fire Department
Scanner audio also revealed one of the most tense moments of the incident occurred during the accountability process.
Police initially reported that approximately six employees were believed to be unaccounted for. Officers and Amazon management worked quickly to determine whether those workers remained inside the building or had already left. Minutes later, that number dropped to one person after badge scans were reviewed. Scanner traffic indicated the remaining individual had last scanned into the building around 11 a.m. and was ultimately believed not to have been inside at the time of the fire.
Emergency personnel also coordinated the evacuation of hundreds of workers. According to scanner audio, officers initially believed only about 50 employees would require transportation from the scene before realizing the number was significantly higher. Officials eventually confirmed approximately 360 employees had been evacuated.
Police and Amazon management coordinated badge scans to determine who had already left, identified employees who had access to their own vehicles, directed workers to leave in small groups to avoid traffic congestion, and arranged buses through Kenosha Area Transit to transport employees without transportation to another Amazon facility identified over scanner traffic as the company’s MKE building.
The evacuation became a logistical operation of its own. Officers directed traffic, rerouted semi-trucks around fire apparatus, coordinated employee pickup locations, and managed a steady flow of workers leaving the property while firefighters continued battling the fire.
By Friday morning, fire crews had successfully contained the blaze and were working to extinguish remaining hot spots.
No injuries were reported among Amazon employees or emergency responders.
The Kenosha Parks Department assisted by providing fuel support for the air boats used during smoke ventilation operations.
The Kenosha Fire Department thanked the Kenosha Police Department, Kenosha Area Transit, Kenosha Parks Department, Kenosha County Joint Services, Amazon personnel, and the responding MABAS agencies for their assistance during the incident.
Although the fire was ultimately brought under control, scanner audio indicated firefighters continued dealing with flare-ups even after the main body of the fire had been knocked down. One officer later reported that the fire was no longer actively burning but continued to rekindle in places while crews focused on extinguishing hot spots and clearing smoke from the building.
Firefighters remained on scene Friday as overhaul operations continued.
The warehouse sustained significant smoke and water damage, although officials have not yet released a damage estimate.
The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.
