Fire Department

The Madison Fire Department was called to the River’s Edge Apartments (1600 block Fordem Ave.) at approximately 4:45 a.m. Friday after Madison Police were called to check on large amounts of water amassing in the parking lot.
 
Engine 3 and the Madison Fire Hazardous Incident Team (HIT) responded and found that a broken water lateral, which feeds water to the building, had burst and created a sink hole in the parking lot.
 
Two of the four buildings at River’s Edge were most affected by the flooding, and gas, electricity, and water were shut off as residents there were asked to evacuate. Fire crews monitored the air for flammable and/or toxic gases throughout the day as clean-up operations took place. At no point did the air quality diminish as a result of the flooding, its consequences, and the subsequent clean-up.
 
Three vehicles succumbed to the sink hole. They were removed at approximately 2:00 p.m. Several other vehicles were damaged by the flooding in the area, including inside the underground garages.
 
The Madison Fire Department turned the scene over to property management and the American Red Cross at approximately 3:00 p.m. Two out of the four buildings at River’s Edge are not suitable for occupancy. The American Red Cross is providing temporary shelter to occupants who are unable to find alternate accommodations. It’s anticipated that they will be displaced through the weekend, and quite possibly into next week.