Sun Prairie and Madison emergency personnel responded Aug. 29 to a fire at a City of Sun Prairie apartment building that displaced eight families and caused at estimated $100,000 in damages.
Fire Chief Chris Garrison said at 9:05 p.m., the Sun Prairie Fire Department responded to a structure fire on the 600 block of Schiller Street. The caller indicated heavy smoke was coming from the basement of her apartment building.
Upon arrival, firefighters found an eight-unit apartment complex with heavy smoke coming from the basement. Crews arrived on scene and performed a quick knock-down of the fire; a primary search was conducted and all residents had evacuated.
Residents reported they were alerted by working smoke detectors in the hallways.
"One resident Michael Lockman used a fire extinguisher to help control the fire," Garrison said. "Although we had quick knock-down of the fire, due to the construction type, firefighters chased hot pockets of fire throughout the building for hours."
The fire extended up to the second floor of the building.
Eight families in the building have been displaced by the fire.
Garrison said the building was deemed inhabitable.