Fire destroys part of apartments near UW-La Crosse

TL;DR

A fire tore through a two-story apartment complex at 1003 Zeisler St. near the UW-La Crosse campus on Saturday afternoon.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
The La Crosse Fire Department contained heavy flames and smoke damage in 18 minutes, with residents safe after rescues by bystanders and firefighters.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
One firefighter suffered a minor hand injury; the cause is under investigation in the student-heavy area.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)

The story at a glance

A fire broke out around 1:34 p.m. Saturday at the apartment building at 1003 Zeisler St. in La Crosse, fully engulfing one end with heavy fire and smoke reported at the front.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html) The La Crosse Fire Department, aided by Shelby Fire, responded quickly, while residents including students rescued one tenant and firefighters saved another. It's being reported now as a breaking local incident in the crime-courts section due to the ongoing investigation.[[2]](https://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_4feda200-274c-44ec-b5b5-3d65f1ca3f06.html)

Zeisler Street apartments like this one house many UW-La Crosse students, about 0.7 miles from campus.[[3]](https://www.collegestudentapartments.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/apartments)

Key points

Fire started in a two-story apartment complex; crews arrived to find the building fully involved, with flames at the front end.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
Bystanders, described as students, pulled one resident from a first-floor window before firefighters arrived.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
Firefighters rescued a second tenant from inside through another window; all residents escaped without serious injury.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
Blaze controlled in 18 minutes by multiple agencies; an MTU bus sheltered displaced residents on scene.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
One firefighter got a minor hand injury; no other harm reported.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)
Scene under investigation for cause; extensive smoke and heat damage noted.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)

Details and context

The fire hit 1003 Zeisler St., a studio apartment building popular with UW-La Crosse students due to its location overlooking the river marsh, roughly 0.7 miles from campus.[[4]](https://www.yelp.com/biz/belmar-apartments-la-crosse)[[3]](https://www.collegestudentapartments.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-la-crosse/apartments) Quick action by residents and pros prevented worse outcomes in a densely packed student area.

La Crosse Fire Battalion Chief Lance Tryggestad described the intense scene on arrival. Coverage appears in the paper's crime-courts section, common for fire probes that might involve arson checks.

No cause determined yet; past La Crosse apartment fires, like those in January 2026 on Fifth Avenue, displaced residents but caused no deaths.[[5]](https://www.wxow.com/news/fire-displaces-residents-in-la-crosse-crews-battle-blaze-for-3-hours/article_bc8b7023-2580-49a7-bb66-8cdbb87969ea.html)

Key quotes

"The whole end that you see behind me was on fire and as I pulled up, as the first rigs pulled up, there were actually some students rescuing a resident out of the first floor. No terrible injuries, but they were able to thankfully pull up and save him." — Lance Tryggestad, La Crosse Fire Department battalion chief.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)

Why it matters

Fires in off-campus housing near colleges like UW-La Crosse pose risks to many students living in close quarters.

Residents and renters near the university face displacement and property loss, though quick rescues here limited harm.

Watch for the fire investigation results, which could reveal if arson or hazards played a role.[[1]](https://www.news8000.com/news/local-news/la-crosse/update-residents-rescue-tenant-from-zeisler-street-apartment-fire/article_5f2f6911-1893-481b-8ed9-72d7c2becf87.html)