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Five Workers Escape Fire At Old UW-Madison Dorm
Firefighters Put Out Blaze At Old Ogg Hall
UPDATED: 10:00 am CST December 15,
2007
MADISON, Wis. -- Five construction workers safely escaped a fire at an old University of Wisconsin-Madison residence hall Friday.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportMadison Fire Department spokesman Eric Dahl said the workers were inside old Ogg Hall when fire broke out around 11 a.m. Friday. He said that smoke blocked the workers' route to the stairs and that they climbed down scaffolding set up outside the building on West Dayton Street.Dahl said the workers are employees of Dore & Associates and that they were helping to prepare the building for its demolition. The university closed the 42-year-old dormitory after last school year.Firefighters said that fires broke out on the 13th floor and in an elevator shaft in the lower level. Fire crews had trouble getting water to the 13th floor fire because of an issue with the standpipe serving fire hoses, WISC-TV reported."The connection where we supply it with water was plugged with ice, so we were not able to use that. Once we realized that, we started getting hoses in place to supply water up the stairway," Dahl said.As they fought the fire, authorities closed a portion of West Dayton Street to traffic, WISC-TV reported. Dahl said that the fire wasn't a danger to students. Once crews got water to the fire, Dahl said the fires were both extinguished quickly.Fire officials said the blaze started when sparks from a cutting torch ignited construction debris.There were no injuries reported. Officials estimated the damage at $5,000.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportMadison Fire Department spokesman Eric Dahl said the workers were inside old Ogg Hall when fire broke out around 11 a.m. Friday. He said that smoke blocked the workers' route to the stairs and that they climbed down scaffolding set up outside the building on West Dayton Street.Dahl said the workers are employees of Dore & Associates and that they were helping to prepare the building for its demolition. The university closed the 42-year-old dormitory after last school year.Firefighters said that fires broke out on the 13th floor and in an elevator shaft in the lower level. Fire crews had trouble getting water to the 13th floor fire because of an issue with the standpipe serving fire hoses, WISC-TV reported."The connection where we supply it with water was plugged with ice, so we were not able to use that. Once we realized that, we started getting hoses in place to supply water up the stairway," Dahl said.As they fought the fire, authorities closed a portion of West Dayton Street to traffic, WISC-TV reported. Dahl said that the fire wasn't a danger to students. Once crews got water to the fire, Dahl said the fires were both extinguished quickly.Fire officials said the blaze started when sparks from a cutting torch ignited construction debris.There were no injuries reported. Officials estimated the damage at $5,000.
Related Stories:
- August 27, 2007: Ogg Hall Opens Its Doors For Move-In Day
- May 14, 2007: UW's Ogg Hall Sees Final Days
Copyright 2007 by Channel 3000. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
