Car Fire in Parking Ramp Extinguished

City of Madison firefighters responded to a very smoky car fire at the Lake Street Parking Ramp tonight. A full structure fire response (3 engines, 2 ladder trucks, a paramedic ambulance and a chief officer in the command car) was sent to the ramp at 8:25 p.m. Crews responding to the scene could see black smoke from two blocks away. Upon arrival, firefighters pulled a hoseline through the thick smoke on the second level of the ramp. Locating the burning car was difficult due to the heavy black smoke that was banked down to the floor. Once the fire was located, it was quickly extinguished. The fire destroyed a 1994 Lexus and also damaged two vehicles parked next to the Lexus. Total damage to the vehicles is approximately $15,000. Some electrical wiring in the parking ramp suffered minor heat damage. Parking Utility staff will assess the extent of the damage in the ramp. The fire does not appear suspicious. No injuries were reported at the scene.