Fire Department

Downtown firefighters were dispatched to Witte Residence Hall on the UW-Madison campus early Friday morning to investigate an alarm activation there. Students were evacuating as Engine Company 1 arrived.

UWPD officers informed Engine 1 there was smoke on the second floor, prompting firefighters to call for a full structure fire response. Meanwhile, Engine 1 proceeded to the second floor, where they didn't find smoke or fire but did discover scorch marks on a bulletin board in the hallway near the elevators.

Engine 1 cancelled the full structure fire response as UW building maintenance reset the fire alarm panel and residents returned inside.

UWPD led the investigation into the fire. Today they identified and cited the student, who said he was very intoxicated at the time of the incident.