Northwest Side furniture store to be demolished after fire

A furniture store in the Northwest Side Avondale neighborhood is set to be demolished after a fire ravaged it for nearly three hours Thursday morning.

The fire was reported at Famsa Furniture in the 2900 block of North Milwaukee about 7:45 a.m., according to Fire Media Affairs. The store was not yet open for business and no one was inside when the fire alarm went off.

At 8:33 a.m., Fire Media reported that the fire was through the building’s roof. Less than ten minutes later, the fire was upgraded to a 3-11 and a collapse was reported.

The fire was extinguished about 10:45 a.m., according to Fire Media. The buildings on either side were saved, but the damage to the furniture store was extensive.

The Dept. of Buildings is working with the owner to demolish the building Thursday, according to Fire Media. Milwaukee will be closed in the area for at least the rest of the day.