A family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is facing an uncertain future after an apartment building fire. As the flames began to flare up, a mother and her daughter found themselves trapped. The mom knew she had to act quickly to save both her and her daughter’s lives, so she did the only thing she could think of: She threw the girl out the window. Thankfully, a neighbor saw what happened and was able to save the girl. Although the mom also got out of the building, she is hospitalized due to her injuries.
Now, her family is supporting her as she heals while also trying to rebuild their lives. The person who is accused of starting the fire has been arrested.
The fire broke out early in the morning on January 16, 2026, WISN reported. Fire department officials said the fire began on the first floor, but smoke conditions were more severe on the second floor.
Residents living on the second floor were forced to hang out of windows to evade the smoke, fire officials said. That included Kessy Falcon and her 9-year-old daughter, according to her husband, Luis Ramirez.
“It has been rough, man. I am trying to keep it together for my daughter,” Ramirez told WISN after the fire.
“Her mother was like please catch her and then boom, my heart, and it could be my nieces or nephew, so I had to catch her,” the neighbor who caught the girl, whose name is Ni’lah, told the outlet.
Ni’lah was taken to the hospital but released with minor smoke inhalation and a scratch on her leg. Ramirez expressed gratitude for the neighbor’s action. Unfortunately, his wife didn’t fare quite as well.
Falcon remains in the ICU heavily sedated and on breathing tubes. According to Ramirez, who wasn’t home at the time of the apartment fire, her recovery prospects were “50/50” as of January 19, WISN reported.
A GoFundMe account has been created by Falcon’s sister to help the family during this difficult time. “My sister’s family is now facing displacement, medical uncertainty, emotional trauma, and overwhelming financial strain all at once,” she wrote.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, in addition to Falcon and Ni’lah, three other people were injured in the fire, CBS 58 reported. A 64-year-old and 18-year-old were taken to the hospital with serious, but nonfatal injuries, and a 47-year-old was brought in with nonthreatening injuries.
Police arrested 43-year-old Keith Luko in connection with the apartment fire. He has been charged with arson of a building, first-degree reckless injury, and six counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, per CBS 58.
According to a criminal complaint, Luko lived in the apartment building with his mother. Once he was tracked down, he admitted that he started the apartment fire. Luko told police he was angry about his neighbors smoking marijuana, so he poured gasoline in the hallway and ignited it, the outlet reported.
