Fire Department

A traffic crash that took out three poles and created hazardous roadway conditions on Memorial Day also left one household seeking a hotel for the night. 

Engine Company 5 responded along with Madison Police to the 300 block of Meadowlark Drive. There, a minivan had run into a power pole, which caused a chain reaction of damage to a total of three power poles, two of which snapped in half. MGE was dispatched to address the electrical hazards caused by the crash as severed wires dangled and rested in the street from various directions.

The two occupants traveling in the minivan were not injured. The van was reportedly traveling south on Meadowlark when it left the road and struck the guide wire to one of the poles there.

MGE cut power to the poles. The van was still running and resting against the power pole. As Engine Co. 5 entered the van to place it in park, a neighbor approached to say they had several light bulbs explode inside their home and black soot around several electrical outlets.

Firefighters surveyed the home with a thermal imaging camera to confirm no hidden fire burned inside the walls. No fire was found, but Engine Co. 5 did find several burned holes in the soffits and gutters of the home’s exterior. Electrical power to the home has been turned off until an electrician can inspect the home’s wiring to ensure no further electrical hazards exist. The family chose to stay at a hotel for the night.

After all imminent fire hazards were addressed, and confirming no need for EMS, Engine Co. 5 left the scene in the hands of MGE and MPD.