Birds Nest Catches Fire Along PDQ Awning

A family of birds is displaced after their home burst into flames Wednesday afternoon at the E. Buckeye Road PDQ.

Employees say birds have been seeking refuge from the cold winter temperatures by building nests inside the neon light tubing that surrounds the awning hovering above the gas pumps. Things got too heated, though, as a nest caught fire and the flames spread approximately 2-3 feet along the light fixture.

A customer waiting in line alerted the store clerk, who called Dane County 911.

Engine 5 knocked down the fire with its bumper line within five minutes of being dispatched to the address. Firefighters on Ladder 8's aerial platform approached the awning to check for fire extension. They determined it did not spread to the awning structure itself. 

There's damage to the wire insulation and plastic lighting fixture that covers the area where the fire occurred. The business remains open as there was minimal disruption to normal operations during and after the incident.
 

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