Press Release
City of Fitchburg
Thursday, August 06, 2015
The Fitchburg Fire Department received a pre-alert just before 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2015 for a structure fire in a storage shed at 5113 Curry Ct in Fitchburg. Dane County Communications (9-1-1) had received numerous calls about the fire, with some callers reporting that they heard explosions from inside the building. A 100-pound LP tank was found in the grass outside of the shed, and was most likely the source of any explosions.
The first responding engine could see a column of smoke from about two miles away so the lieutenant requested a MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) box alarm for water tenders. Due to the rural location of the fire, having an adequate supply of water on scene was a concern; when crews arrived on scene they were able to use the one available hydrant to provide enough water to extinguish the fire.
First arriving fire units reported a 40’ x 75’ storage shed that was fully engulfed in flames with a collapsed roof; due to these conditions, the fire was “fought defensively” or strictly from the outside of the building.
One side of the shed was being used for private storage and the other side for housing equipment for a landscaping business. The shed was located at the end of Curry Ct and no other structures were close enough to be damaged by the flames. The fire was extinguished after approximately 30 minutes; crews remained on scene for another 3 hours to extinguish hot spots.
The Fitchburg Fire Department received automatic aid from the Town of Madison Fire Department, Oregon Area Fire & EMS and FitchRona EMS. Mutual aid was received from the Middleton Fire District, the Belleville Volunteer Fire Department, Brooklyn Fire & EMS and McFarland Fire and Rescue.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Damage was limited to the shed and its contents, with an initial estimated dollar loss of $300,000.
No injuries were reported.
For further information contact:
Division Chief Gary Heberling
608-278-2980
gary.heberling@fitchburgwi.gov
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