Side of a fire truck with the letters MFD
Fire
Chris Carbon, Fire Chief

Fire Discovered Inside Unoccupied Home, Cause Under Investigation

  • Location

    500 block Woodside Terrace
    Madison, WI

  • Incident Date

    Dispatch: Jan. 5, 2021 - 7:50am
    Arrival: Jan. 5, 2021 - 7:54am

  • Incident Type

    Structure

43.056114, -89.453628

This map displays an approximate location.

Updates

Fire investigators determined the fire at this address was caused by improperly discarded oil-saturated rags. 

Renovators working at the home reported they discarded an oily rag into a plastic bag Monday afternoon and then left the bag in the living room. When they returned Tuesday morning, they found a small fire and immediately called 911. 

Firefighters arrived on scene within four minutes of the dispatch, entered the living room, and made an interior fire attack with a water can extinguisher. Fire damage was contained to a 4x4-foot area but did burn through the floor into the basement ceiling. Damage is estimated at around $3000.

Visit the NFPA website to learn how oily rags can start on fire and how to prevent it.

Incident Details

The Madison Fire Department responded to a fire reported inside a west side home Tuesday morning. Engine Co. 9 arrived on scene and quickly put a stop to the fire upon locating it. The home is reportedly unoccupied at this time, and no injuries were reported. The MFD Fire Investigation Team is currently on scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

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