A suspect has been arrested in connection to three different fires in downtown Madison that displaced six University of Wisconsin-Madison students early Wednesday morning, according to the Madison Police Department.
Two of the fires involved garbage dumpsters. The first was reported on Langdon Street at 4:19 a.m. and the second near the intersection of West Johnson and State Street at 4:48 a.m. The third fire on 509 West Washington Ave. was reported at 4:59 a.m., according to the Madison Fire Department.
Next door neighbors heard an explosion, saw flames and alerted the residents of the home, according to the incident report.
MPD and MFD arrived on the scene quickly, and everyone was evacuated safely with no injuries reported. Because two other fires had already been reported within the hour, MPD arson investigators also responded.
MFD estimated damages are approximately $500,000. A GoFundMe has been set up for the students affected.
Police asked the public for help finding the person of interest Wednesday night, and the suspect was arrested Thursday afternoon.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Ella Hanley is the associate news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has written breaking, city, state and campus news. Follow her on Twitter at @ellamhanley.
