Fire Department

An electrical malfunction which led to an explosion and fire in a downtown residential parking garage was contained by an automatic fire sprinkler. Nobody was injured, but due to damage to a critical power source, dozens of people are displaced.

Firefighters at Station 1, which is housed in the Ovation complex, first heard a loud “boom” from their kitchen on New Year's Eve. Electricity in the firehouse flickered off but soon returned under generator power. Meanwhile, out their back door, firefighters saw a large amount of smoke coming from an outdoor vent, and an alarm panel indicated a sprinkler activation in the residential parking garage. A full structure fire response was activated, and several crews were dispatched to join Engine Co. 1 in their response.

Crews identified the source of the fire to be electrical equipment mounted to the ceiling of the parking garage. Although the fire was contained, it affected the power supply for most of the residential building. MGE and building maintenance remained on scene to assess damages and begin coordinating repair work. Property management arranged alternate accommodations for occupants while contractors work to restore electricity.

The Madison Fire Department notes that this fire broke out right next to an automatic fire sprinkler head. The immediate activation of the sprinkler was instrumental in keeping the fire confined to its point of origin. Without it, fire may have quickly spread to parked vehicles, into electrical shafts, and elsewhere throughout the building, causing significantly more destruction and putting the lives of occupants and firefighters at risk. Because this building was protected by automatic fire sprinklers, a recovery period that could have lasted months is expected to last about a week.