Shop Fire at MATC Damages Equipment

City of Madison Firefighters responded to a fire on MATC's Truax campus Saturday at 6:44 a.m. The call came in as an alarm sounding at the main building of the campus, 3550 Anderson St. Upon arrival Engine 8's crew was met by a security guard who reported fire showing from the bay doors of the automotive shop in an attached wing of the building. Firefighters were met with heavy smoke as they traced the source of the fire to a test stand with a battery charger nearby. A single sprinkler head had extinguished the fire. Firefighters contacted building maintenance to shut off the water flow and ventilated the building by opening bay doors. Fire investigators do not believe the fire was intentional. The source of ignition remains under investigation, but the focus in on an automotive engine used for classes. Damage is estimated at $3,500 for the automotive engine model and $500 for fire and smoke damage to the building.