Fire Department

The City of Madison Fire Department responded to a handful of water emergencies across the city Thursday and into Friday morning, most of them the result of frozen pipes. Details about these incidents are below.

Frigid temperatures are expected to continue throughout the weekend. Madison Water Utility provides tips for protecting your pipes during the deep freeze.

12/28, 4:07 a.m., Iota Court:
Engine Company 1 found water coming from the lights and ceiling in the entryway of an apartment building on Iota Court. A resident explained the problem was coming from a particular apartment on an upper floor. Firefighters proceeded to that unit and found broken pipes behind the shower spraying and leaking everywhere. One firefighter removed the toilet so water could drain and noticed the toilet water had ice in it. After turning off the main water source in the basement of the building, the crew noticed the stairwell and hallway were abnormally cold.

Water damage extended to five apartments situated beneath the source of the leak.

12/28, 7:32 a.m., Lawrence Street:
Ladder Company 6 was dispatched for a single-family home on Lawrence Street after a neighbor found water flooding the kitchen. The water was entering through the ceiling. Firefighters turned off the water service and located the broken pipe in the upstairs bathroom sink. Drains and valves were opened to drain the plumbing system, and firefighters needed to open a hole in the drywall ceiling to release water that accumulated there. The water was swept into the basement to assist in salvaging the floors. Ladder 6 was able to contact the homeowner and apprise them of the situation. They advised making arrangements to have a clean-up crew tend to the significant water damage.

12/28, 6:09 p.m., Langdon Street:
Fire alarms sounded at 12 Langdon Street, but the lack of an operable Knox Box kept firefighters from entering the building with ease. As they walked around the building, they could see the building’s alarm panel through the window, which indicated a water flow alarm. They walked around some more and found water coming out from underneath a door. There was no hint of smoke or fire in the building, so forcing entry was not warranted.

911 dispatchers contacted building managers, who arrived on scene within 10 minutes to allow firefighters inside. As Engine 1 entered the basement, they found water coming from the ceiling. The crew shut down the water to the building and the sprinkler system and put a stop to the leak. Firefighters went through apartments and placed some possessions on high ground to save them from additional damage. Building managers took over the scene.

12/28, 10:23 p.m., W. Dayton Street:
A tenant on the 400 block of W. Dayton Street reported water flowing out of the ceiling. Firefighters could clearly hear water flowing fast on the second floor. The basement utility doors were secured, and nobody in the building had keys. There was no Knox Box to allow firefighters access to a master key. The crew proceeded to third floor, where again they heard very fast moving water. They forced entry into an apartment, where they found a broken pipe under the sink. The window to this apartment was completely open.

The crew finally accessed the main water valve and shut off the water to the building. A total of six apartment units on the top floor were affected by water damage; however, water dropped down below each of these apartments, and water may have spread further.

The owner of the building arrived and began making arrangements for the tenants to find another place to stay. The American Red Cross was also contacted for additional assistance.

12/29, 4:46 a.m., Northport Drive:
Engine Company 10 was dispatched along with a full structure fire compliment for "light smoke" in a bedroom on the 500 block of Northport Drive. There were no alarms sounding when firefighters arrived, and nobody was evacuating the building. A family residing in one apartment said there was smoke and water in the upstairs bedroom. Firefighters found steam in the bedroom coming from a leaking water pipe in the baseboard heating unit.

While Engine 10 inspected the heating unit, the bedroom window was opened to release some of the steam and protect the contents of the room. It wasn’t immediately apparent where the water was coming from. Two firefighters went to the basement to check for water damage and found a steady stream of water flowing into the basement from the apartment. The water to the apartment baseboard heaters was shut down, and building maintenance was asked to respond and make arrangements for repairs.

Firefighters advised the residents to replace the smoke detector when the water and steam issues are resolved.