Fire Damages Vacant Apartment

Smoke and flames caused approximately $10,000 damage to a vacant apartment at 50 Schroeder Court tonight. Firefighters were called to the 36-unit apartment building at 6:04 PM after a resident smelled smoke in the building's hallway. The fire attack crew located a fire in the kitchen of a first floor apartment and extinguished it with a small amount of water. Other crews checked neighboring apartments for damage and used fans to remove smoke from the building. A Madison Metro bus was called to the scene to provide temporary shelter for the residents who were evacuated from the building. Once the building was deemed safe, all of the residents were able to return to their apartments. No injuries were reported at the fire scene. The cause of the fire is not cooking related and remains under investigation. Firefighters remind everyone of these safety tips: • Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, in each bedroom, and outside each bedroom. • Test your smoke alarms every month. • Make an escape plan and have a fire drill to practice your plan. • When the alarm sounds, get out and stay out. • After you have escaped, call 9-1-1 from a safe place. • Never go back inside the building for any reason.