MFD Firefighters Extinguish Apartment Fire; 2 Occupants Displaced

City of Madison firefighters made quick work of an early morning kitchen fire on the second floor of an apartment building at 15 S. Charter St., near the UW Campus. The first call for the fire came in to the 911 Communications Center at 3:18 a.m. Engine Company 4 was on scene minutes later and had the fire knocked down at 3:30. Occupants of the two-story apartment building had evacuated when crews arrived. Firefighters noted smoke from the second floor at the rear of the building. As crews entered, they were met by thick smoke and flames reaching cabinets in the common kitchen area. Only one person was sleeping on the second floor when the fire occurred. Smoke alarms did sound, alerting occupants. Occupants were re-admitted to the first floor apartments one hour after the fire was extinguished. The first floor sustained only light smoke damage. While the second floor had heavier smoke damage, fire damage was confined to the area around the kitchen, at one end of the building.