Near East Side Fire Displaces Four
43.0851334, -89.3770731
Incident Details
On 01/19/26 at 07:05 am, MFD crews were dispatched to the 400 block of N Paterson St for a structure fire involving a 3-story multifamily building.
A resident from the building had called 911 and reported there was a lot of smoke on the 3rd floor. The resident, who resides on the 1st floor, said when they woke up, they heard a smoke alarm sounding and smelled smoke. The resident went up to the 3rd floor and opened a storage room door and was met with heavy dark smoke. The resident tried to use a fire extinguisher and said that it didn’t seem to have any impact on the fire.
A total of 5 people were staying in the building. All the residents worked together to make sure everyone was able to safely escape the building, along with 2 dogs and 1 cat.
The first arriving MFD unit reported seeing heavy black smoke coming from the back corner of the building on the 3rd floor.
MFD crews coordinated interior and exterior fire suppression efforts along with ventilation operations. Crews searched the building and confirmed no one was inside. Crews were able to shut down building utilities.
Madison Gas and Electric was notified and responded to the scene. The American Red Cross responded and is assisting 4 residents who were displaced because of the fire. The 5th person who was in the building resides at a different address and did not need assistance.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and no damage estimate is available. No injuries were reported.
