Fitchburg apartment building fire under investigation by state fire marshal

A fire displaced several residents of an apartment building in Fitchburg, near the Southwest Side of Madison, after a resident discovered smoke in the building’s second floor hallway Tuesday night.

The Fitchburg Fire Department was dispatched to 2118 Red Arrow Trail at around 11:55 p.m. Tuesday on reports of smoke in the residential building. Upon arrival, the firefighters confirmed an active structure fire on the second floor, which quickly spread to the hallway. The building did not have a working sprinkler system, Fitchburg Deputy Fire Chief Chad Grossen said in a statement.

The fire was extinguished quickly by the first firefighters on the scene Tuesday. Several building residents were displaced due to smoke and fire damage, Grossen said.

Madison Metro was called to assist with a bus on the scene as a temporary shelter for the residents. The Red Cross was called to the scene to assist residents who could not return to their apartments. One resident was transported to an area hospital for smoke inhalation by FitchRona EMS, Grossen said.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation – State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Fitchburg Fire Department and the Fitchburg Police Department, Grossen said.