Cat may have caused Madison apartment fire that displaced person, 5 pets

MADISON, Wis. -- One person and their five pets had to find a different place to stay Friday night after a fire at an apartment on Madison's east side.

Investigators believe that the fire may have been caused by a cat jumping onto a stovetop and activating a burner. There were items on the stovetop that caught fire.

Madison Fire Department crews were called to the Ella Apartments at 2860 East Washington Ave. at around 2:44 p.m. for a report of smoke coming from a fourth-floor apartment.

Crews entered the unit to find smoke banked to the floor. Another group of firefighters knocked on doors to make sure the rest of the fourth floor was evacuated.

Flames were found on a kitchen stovetop and were quickly extinguished with a water can. Officials said nobody was home at the time of the fire. The building had automatic sprinklers, but the fire was so small that the sprinklers didn't activate.

Initially, a dog and cat were found and taken outside. While searching the unit, crews were able to rescue four other cats. All of the pets in the unit were unharmed.

The displaced person, along with their pets, are being assisted by the American Red Cross.

One person in the building was evaluated for smoke exposure but was not taken to a hospital. Nobody else was injured. There was fire damage in the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the unit.

The fire is estimated to have caused about $25,000 worth of damage.

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