‘Very intoxicated’ student cited for starting fire in Witte

Students were evacuating Witte as the Madison Fire Department arrived to an alarm activation around 2 a.m. Friday, according to a daily report.

“UWPD officers informed Engine 1 there was smoke on the second floor, prompting firefighters to call for a full structure fire response,” MFD Public Information Officer Cynthia Schuster wrote in the report. “Meanwhile, Engine 1 proceeded to the second floor, where they didn't find smoke or fire but did discover scorch marks on a bulletin board in the hallway near the elevators.”

The firefighters then cancelled the full structure fire response, and reset the building’s fire alarm panel. Residents were then able to return inside.

UWPD led the investigation into the fire and identified the student who started it by Saturday. According to the report, the student said he was “very intoxicated” at the time of the incident.