Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee Evacuated After Rooftop Fire Ignites
Posted on: April 6, 2026, 02:51h.
Last updated on: April 6, 2026, 02:51h.
- The Potawatomi Casino was evacuated on Monday due to a fire
- The rooftop blaze originated in an HVAC unit
- The fire did not impact hotel operations
The gaming floor at Potawatomi Casino Hotel in downtown Milwaukee was evacuated Monday just before noon local time due to a fire.
The tribal casino, owned and operated by the Forest County Potawatomi Community, evacuated casino patrons shortly before 12 pm Central Daylight Time. First responders with the Milwaukee Fire Department said the fire was contained about an hour later.
The fire began inside an HVAC unit stationed on the casino’s rooftop. A massive black flume of smoke was seen hovering over the casino facility.
A problem with our boiler system led to a fire,” the Potawatomi Casino social media accounts shared. “The entire building is being evacuated. Remember, we are on private property and this is an active scene.”
The fire did not impact the Potawatomi Casino Hotel’s 500 guestrooms and suites. The 19-floor hotel remained occupied throughout the Monday fire. Most other resort amenities were also not impacted by the rooftop blaze.
Media Shooed Away
The Potawatomi Casino fire came the day after Easter, with many taking the day off after the holiday. The Native American casino, which has around 3,000 slot machines, 60 live dealer table games, bingo and poker rooms, and a sportsbook, was a bit busier than normal.
Local media responded to the casino after the fire reports broke out and calls were heard over emergency scanners. Officials with the resort, however, quickly told reporters to get off the property.
Reporter Ben Jordan of TMJ4, an NBC News affiliate, was told while conducting a live interview with a bystander that he needed to move.
Sorry guys, you’re on private property. I need you to get off,” an unknown person with the casino told Jordan and the witness standing on a nearby sidewalk. “You have to go all the way to the other side of Canal Street.”
As of 2:45 pm CDT, the Potawatomi Casino remained temporarily closed.
During the 2024-25 fiscal year, tribal casinos in Wisconsin generated gross gaming revenue in excess of $1.37 billion, a 5% improvement on the prior year. Wisconsin has Class III gaming compacts with 11 federally recognized tribes, which collectively operate 24 gaming facilities.
2025 Casino Flood
It was less than a year ago that the Potawatomi Casino Hotel and Milwaukee suffered what weather forecasters called a “once in a thousand years event.” During the 48-hour storm, Milwaukee received up to 10 inches of rain on Aug. 9-10.
The devastating flood caused considerable damage to hundreds of vehicles parked at the tribal casino’s parking garage. Many were total losses.
The insurance carrier of the casino denied claims on the defense that the floods were an “act of nature.” Vehicle owners who did not carry comprehensive protection, which generally includes insurance for “other than collision,” suffered steep losses in repairing their vehicles or buying new ones.
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