Zoology Building Evacuated, Malfunctioning Freezer to Blame

Firefighters were called to 1117 W. Johnson Street, the Zoology building on the UW-Madison campus, for a smoke odor on the third floor. 

Students, faculty, and staff evacuated the building as the fire alarms sounded. Engine 4 and Medic 2 proceeded to the third floor and entered a room where the smoke odor had been reported. Meanwhile, Ladder 1 examined the building's HVAC system but found no issues. 

After a lengthy investigation, Engine 4 and Medic 2 found the smoke odor coming from a stand-up freezer in one of the third-floor rooms. The compressor in the freezer was malfunctioning, which caused the smoke. 

Building maintenance arrived on scene and disconnected the freezer from power. The freezer is set to be serviced or replaced. 

Firefighters silenced and reset the fire alarms, and evacuated parties were invited to return inside.