After sparks flared up in Memorial Union early Monday morning, the Madison Fire Department was called to the scene and quickly extinguished the two-alarm fire which caused damages reaching $10,000.
According to a statement from the University of Wisconsin Police Department, police officers and the Madison Fire Department were notified of the fire at 7:38 a.m.
A statement by the City of Madison Fire Department said firefighters arrived three minutes after receiving the call.
The fire yesterday morning was in the Memorial Union Theater, Wendy Von Below, project manager for Memorial Union said.
According to a UW statement, the fire was construction related.
Because of the construction, Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said the fire was found in a room that was previously being gutted.
“There was nothing much there,” Resnick said.
The blaze was brought under control at the arrival of the MFD, the UW statement said, and Boldt, the construction company currently working on the west wing of the building, assessed the damages.
According to Resnick, a torch tool was being utilized and consequently ignited wax paper, behind one of the walls of the Wisconsin Union Theater.
The UWPD statement said the tool being used was a cutting tool that lit flammable materials on fire on the site by accident.
Resnick said there were multiple small fires on the roof and inside the theater construction site.
“The flames quickly traveled up the void space behind a wall and entered the large attic space above the theater. A fire crew entered the building and saw fire burning along the walls near the ceiling of the theater. They quickly extinguished the visible flames and began searching for access to the attic,” the MFD statement said.
The MFD statement said there was a large amount of smoke in the attic and added firefighters successfully extinguished large flames also found in the attic of the site.
Though access to the attic was limited, firefighters were able to put the fire out despite only being able to enter through one door and having to crawl on small walkways through heavy smoke, the MFD statement said.
Resnick said the fire took 45 minutes to put out.
Resnick also said the incident turned into a two-alarm fire and was of a more critical nature.
According to the UWPD statement, firefighters were able to control and extinguish the fire, limiting the amount of damage to about $10,000.
Resnick added though one of the firefighters was admitted to the hospital for heat related injuries, he was expected back in the office later in the day.
Resnick said no other injuries were reported from the public or the construction crew. He also said from what he knew, the fire had not set back construction and construction crews were expected to return to work later in the afternoon.
He added he was glad no one else beside the firefighter was injured and added he was also glad to see how quickly the fire department responded to the situation.
