Firefighters Locate, Extinguish Eastside House Fire

City of Madison firefighters took less than one hour this afternoon to spot a fire in their territory, respond, call it in and extinguish it.
 
Ladder Company 8 was on Atwood Avenue conducting fire inspections when the crews observed smoke  rising in a nearby neighborhood. As the smoke grew heavier and darker, Ladder 8 followed it, trying to locate the source.
 
As they got closer, a neighbor flagged them down and directed them to a home in the 3100 block of Buena Vista St. They arrived and simultaneously called in the fire at 3:50 p.m.
 
As firefighters moved to the rear of the house, they found fire on the deck, with flames reaching up to the second story. Crews immediately pulled the 200' pre-connect from the truck, spraying down the wall and the deck to extinguish the flames. As they were bringing the fire under control, an occupant emerged from the house to see what was going on. He reported that he had been sleeping and that his wife was sleeping upstairs.
 
Members of the crew entered the home to ensure that the woman got out of the house safely. There were no alarms sounding in the residence.
 
Thanks to the efforts of the crew, fire damage was limited to the exterior of the home. Damages are estimated at $25,000.
 
The male home owner suffered minor burns to his hands when he attempted to move a ladder on the deck. He was treated by paramedics at the scene, but decline transport to the emergency room.
 
The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Lori Wirth, (608) 575-4943, lwirth@cityofmadison.com