Man Charged in Jan. 15 Waukesha Apartment Building Fire

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

The 29-year-old man who is accused of accidentally starting a Jan. 15 fire that displaced dozens of people was charged Thursday with two misdemeanors in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Ryan R. Pike is charged with negligent handling of burning materials and possession of drug paraphernalia. He will be in court at 1:30 p.m. March 21 for an initial appearance on the charges.

The man originally reported he was giving his children a bath and returned to his room to find a mattress on fire.

The criminal complaint alleges that Pike, who was covered in soot, was leaving the area of the fire in his car with his child clothed in nothing but a towel. Pike told police the fire had originated in his apartment.

Pike allegedly told police he had smoked a bowl of marijuana the morning and had placed the pipe on the TV next to a burning candle. Pike told police his child began yelling that the child had soap in her eyes, so he jumped up and either knocked the candle over or threw the blankets toward the candle when he got up to assist his daughter, the complaint states.

Pike told police that when he returned to the room he smelled smoke, opened the door and found the mattress full engulfed in flames, the complaint alleges.

The fire started at 212 W. North St. and flames quickly spread on the second and third floors of the 30-unit building. While no serious injuries were reported, the suspect was treated for smoke inhalation. At least one cat was killed in the fire.

The Waukesha Fire Department rescued seven people from the second and third floors of the apartment building using ladders and other rescue methods. The fire department initially reported between five and eight people were rescued but the final number is being reported as seven.

"(An officer) observed several individuals attempting to exit their windows on the third floor of the complex and officers and firefighters were yelling at them to stay within the residence," the complaint states. "Several officers began pounding on several windows and doors of the apartment complex in an attempt to gain people's attention for them to exit the building as the fire was growing in intensity."

The fire was captured by the Waukesha Police Department's OptiCop.of the fire was provided to Waukesha Patch by the police department.