Firefighters responded to reports of smoke at Grainger Hall on the University of Wisconsin campus before noon Monday, evacuating the building and extinguishing the fire.

Madison Fire Department spokesperson Lori Wirth said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald no injuries were reported and damage estimates from the fire are still unavailable.

According to Kurt Feavel, a sergeant with the University of Wisconsin Police Department, firefighters located the blaze within Grainger, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.

The fire started in an external wall of Grainger near the entrance at the intersections of Park Street and University Avenue, Feavel said.

“[The damage is] limited to one room — one wall of that particular room … but it’s pretty minor damage actually,” Feavel said.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found “a large room near the entrance filled with smoke,” but extinguished the flames using foam, Wirth said.

Alex Andre, an associate media specialist for the School of Business, said he saw smoke in the Plenary Room, located on the first floor on the east side of Grainger.

“People came to my office and told me they wanted me to check out something with the electrical equipment,” Andre said. “We saw smoke, and I soon as I came in I could smell that it was wood.”

Looking around the room, Andre said the group did not see the source of the smoke.

“We checked around, and there wasn’t anything in the fireplace,” Andre said.

He added no electrical problems were found in the area.

Andre said the group contacted building management, who in turn called the fire department.

He said he left the building by noon.

Despite the alarm and automated warnings, Wirth said occupants still in the building hindered the immediate efforts of firefighters.

UW junior Brandon Winikates said while the initial evacuation only took four to five minutes after the alarm sounded, people were very unclear on when they would be allowed back in the building. He said at one point a massive flood of people headed back inside, only to be kicked out again.

“It seemed like no one was really in charge.” Winikates said. “I would have liked [UW] to take more of a leadership role in telling everyone what was going on.”

Waiting for food at the Capitol Caf? at the time of the alarm, UW sophomore Sam Deluca said students heard the alarm but did not exit the building until firefighters arrived.

“Everyone just thought it was a joke, like high school when somebody just pulled [the fire alarm],” Deluca said.

Six rigs responded to the scene, with the southbound lane of Park Street between University Avenue and West Johnson Street closed to traffic.

Officers also stopped pedestrian traffic near the main entrance of Grainger, forcing students to walk in the bike lane along University Avenue or cross Park Street in the middle of the block.

Students, faculty and staff re-entered the building around 1:30 p.m. after firefighters contained and doused the flames.

According to Wirth, an investigator collaborated with UW maintenance staff to uncover the cause of the fire, however the cause is still unknown.