Madison firefighters rushed to Memorial Union around 3:30 p.m. Thursday due to reports of a fire in the building’s attic.
The fifth floor was evacuated because of instructions by the construction crew, according to Stephanie Webendorfer, marketing and communications specialist at the Wisconsin Union. On the way out of the building, the fire alarm was pulled, which led to the evacuation of the entire building.
Pat McEvilly, an employee for H&H Industries, the company renovating the Memorial Union, said he was working in the attic Thursday, but was unsure of how the fire started.
“It’s pretty much all out now, we got it out with a garden hose but they’re just making sure everything else is okay,” McEvilly said.
UWPD tweeted at 4:32 p.m. that the fire at Memorial Union was out.
.@MadisonWIFire tells us the fire at the Memorial Union is out. Everyone was evacuated safely. Please still avoid the area.
— UW-Madison Police (@UWMadisonPolice) January 28, 2016
Memorial Union reopened at 5 p.m.
Memorial Union has reopened to the public. No access to the 5th floor. Langdon Street will be reopening soon.
— UW-Madison Police (@UWMadisonPolice) January 28, 2016
