Approximately 24 University of Wisconsin-Madison students were displaced early Wednesday morning after a fire at a housing cooperative at 244 W. Lakelawn Place caused an estimated $125,000 in damages, according to Dean of Students Lori Berquam.
According to a news release, Madison Fire Department was called to the Lothlorien Co-Op at approximately 1:13 a.m. When firefighters arrived five minutes later, they saw was a large amount of fire visible on the building’s roof.
The students, along with approximately 10 other residents, have been displaced until further building assessments can be made. The residents were allowed back into the residence Wednesday night to collect their remaining belongings.
Carl Gibson, a building resident, said he plans to stay at another co-op and then “couch surf” for the next month or so.
“The building is unrecognizable. I walked up the stairs and everything was just turned into ash and it had rained … this morning, and so everything was wet and muddy,” Gibson said. “ I looked at my books, and they were all burnt up, no clothes left.”
The American Red Cross is assisting several residents with temporary housing and immediate personal needs, according to Tom Mooney, CEO of the Red Cross in Madison. Mooney said they have a shelter open throughout Wednesday night for those displaced and will re-evaluate the situation Thursday to determine if anyone will need further accommodations.
Berquam was also at the scene this morning assisting residents. She described a scene where residents from other co-ops offered those affected by the fire a place to stay.
“To me it shows a generosity of spirit, it’s so true of Madison the city and UW-Madison as a campus,” she said.
Despite the destruction to the building and his belongings, Gibson remains optimistic about the future for him and the co-op.
“This is a minor inconvenience,” Gibson said. “I lost some stuff and I can get some stuff back. People are safe, all the animals got out. We were blessed to come out of it as lucky as we did.”
The cause of the fire remains unknown, according to the release.
