Firefighters rushed to State Street on Friday after the basement underneath Walgreens filled with smoke.
The Madison Fire Department arrived just after 12:30 p.m. with five fire trucks, an ambulance, and two additional vehicles. All patrons were directed out of the building as a team of firefighters explored the store and the areas around it.
“There’s smoke in the basement at Walgreens, so the firefighters are just trying to figure out what’s going on and where exactly the smoke is coming from,” said Madison Police Officer M. Snyder.
Upon further investigation, firefighters found that there was a malfunction of an air handling unit on the roof. A belt within the unit broke, and the HVAC unit continued to run, which started to melt the belt.
There were no flames or fire present, only smoke, and Snyder assured that there was “no concern” for public safety.
Walgreens on 676 State Street has remained open since the incident.
