UPDATE Thursday, April 3, 2014:
Investigators attributed the cause of the fire to an overuse of electrical distributing equipment including wiring, outlets, switches and other materials. The heat produced from the materials ignited flames in the apartment.
The city of Madison encourages homeowners to be cautious of overloading electrical circuits.
A fire was reported to the Madison Fire Department Tuesday afternoon at an apartment on West Mifflin Street, where several University of Wisconsin-Madison students live, resulting in significant damages.
Firefighters arrived on scene shortly after the department received a call at approximately 3:14 p.m., according to Madison Fire Department spokesperson Lori Wirth. The apartment sustained damages adding up to a tentative estimate of $60,000, which excludes content damage.
“The roof got most of the damage, but there’s damage throughout with smoke, heat and whatnot,” Wirth said. “We still haven’t calculated damage to any content, so [the estimate is] likely to go up.”
The approximately six or seven students living in the apartment did not receive any injuries from the fire. Despite the extensive apartment damage, firefighters were able to salvage many of the residents’ possessions, including electronics and personal belongings, according to Wirth.
UW-Madison’s Office of Student Life contacted the students to offer assistance, however the students sought help elsewhere.
“They all have support systems in place and did not need additional assistance,” Wirth said. “They’ve all got places to stay tonight.”
