Fitchburg (WI) Fire Department - Structure Fire

	INCIDENT DETAILS

07/04/2008 -- The Fitchburg Fire Department responded to a report of an apartment building on fire at 3321 Leopold Drive in the City of Fitchburg. Residents of a neighboring apartment building who were arriving home from the fireworks heard an explosion and turned to see flames on the balcony of a second floor apartment. One resident called 9-1-1 while another ran to the fire building, pulled the fire alarm and began alerting residents of the building. Firefighters arrived within 8 minutes to find a large volume of fire engulfing the balcony and extending into the roof structure. A 2nd Alarm was requested to bring additional staffing into the city to assist with fire operations. The design of the roof and the rapid spread of fire through it hampered firefighters' efforts to extinguish the blaze. Units from the town of Madison, Verona, Oregon, Shorewood Hills and Monona fire departments responded to assist. Investigators have determined the cause to have been accidental and involved the improper handling of a charcoal grill.

Pictures by Lt Todd Toussaint