Fire Department

An area teen glanced out her bedroom window overlooking North Star Park Friday afternoon and noticed something amiss.

“Dad, the woods are on fire again,” she shouted down the stairs, prompting a phone call to 911.

Engine Company 13 could see light smoke coming from the tree line on the other side of the park. Nobody was seen in the area at the time of the fire, but firefighters traversed the woody area attempting to locate the seat of the fire. They found several large dead trees either on fire or smoldering. Approximately 20 feet of land were on fire with foot-tall flames.

One firefighter did what he could to quell some of the fire using a handheld water extinguisher. Meanwhile, the remainder of the crew pulled hose lines from the fire engine, utilizing 400 feet of hose in order to reach the fire. About 700 gallons of water were needed to put it out. Upon extinguishing the fire, the crew overhauled the area to ensure it would not rekindle.

It’s not known how this fire started, but evidence suggests that an individual or a group of individuals were utilizing makeshift fire pits in the area. Other Madison Fire Department crews were dispatched to the same location days prior for a similar issue.

The Madison Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Division has been notified of the incidents and will be following up.