{ "id": "2023-11-17-university-of-wisconsin-madison-engineering-hall-fire", "slug": "university-of-wisconsin-madison-engineering-hall-fire-2023-11-17", "institution": { "name": "University of Wisconsin-Madison", "shortName": "UW-Madison", "state": "WI", "type": "public-r1", "alertSystemName": "WiscAlert", "enrollment": 47000 }, "incident": { "date": "2023-11-17", "type": "fire", "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification", "resolution": "confirmed-threat", "headline": "Maintenance work ignites a fire in an engineering building; classes canceled for the day", "headlinePublic": "Maintenance work ignites a fire in an engineering building; classes canceled for the day", "summary": "On the [morning of November 17, 2023](https://www.wmtv15news.com/2023/11/17/uw-madison-engineering-hall-evacuated-fire/), a fire broke out at Engineering Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, caused by maintenance work on an air handling unit. [WiscAlert was sent at 7:49 AM CST](https://badgerherald.com/news/campus/2023/11/17/uwpd-mfd-respond-to-fire-at-engineering-hall/) ordering evacuation and asking the campus to stay clear of the area; the Madison Fire Department had the fire knocked down by 7:49 AM. No injuries were reported, but all Engineering Hall classes were canceled for the remainder of Friday.", "outcome": "No injuries reported. The fire was knocked down at 7:49 AM CST. Engineering Hall was closed for the day and all Friday classes canceled while the building was assessed for smoke and damage. The cause was determined to be unintentional -- maintenance work on an air handling unit. Multiple WiscAlerts were sent to update the campus community.", "casualties": { "killed": 0, "injured": 0 } }, "alerts": [ { "sequence": 1, "type": "initial", "timestamp": "2023-11-17T07:50:00-06:00", "channel": "sms", "verbatimText": "WiscAlert Urgent-Fire at Engineering Hall. Evacuate immediately. Avoid the area. Follow instructions from authorities.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceDescription": "@WiscAlerts / alerts.wisc.edu message 365 (Wayback full text)", "annotations": [ "Exact text from official alerts.wisc.edu message archive (Wayback 20231117175302); timestamp 7:50 am CST matches official page." ], "characterCount": 118, "sourceUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231117175302/https://alerts.wisc.edu/messages/365/" }, { "sequence": 2, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2023-11-17T09:03:00-06:00", "channel": "sms", "verbatimText": "WiscAlert Urgent-Fire at Engineering Hall. Continue to avoid the area. Fire and Police are investigating. Follow instructions from authorities.", "isVerbatimConfirmed": true, "sourceDescription": "@WiscAlerts / alerts.wisc.edu message 368 (Wayback full text)", "annotations": [ "Exact text from official alerts.wisc.edu message archive (Wayback 20231117211034); posted 9:03 am CST." ], "characterCount": 143, "sourceUrl": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231117211034/https://alerts.wisc.edu/messages/368/" }, { "sequence": 3, "type": "update", "timestamp": "2023-11-17T10:00:00-06:00", "channel": "sms", "verbatimText": "", "isVerbatimConfirmed": false, "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from Badger Herald and Madison.com reporting on the third WiscAlert sent at 8:32 AM CST on November 17, 2023", "annotations": [], "timestampApprox": "Later morning after initial fire response" } ], "context": "[Engineering Hall](https://www.engr.wisc.edu/) is a prominent academic building on the [University of Wisconsin-Madison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison) campus, housing multiple engineering departments and research programs. On November 17, 2023, [maintenance workers conducting routine work on an air handling unit](https://www.wmtv15news.com/2023/11/17/uw-madison-engineering-hall-evacuated-fire/) accidentally ignited a fire in the building. The Madison Fire Department received the call at 7:33 AM CST, arrived at 7:36 AM, and had the fire knocked down by 7:49 AM -- the same minute the university sent its first WiscAlert ordering evacuation. [Three WiscAlerts were sent at 7:49, 8:17, and 8:32 AM CST](https://badgerherald.com/news/campus/2023/11/17/uwpd-mfd-respond-to-fire-at-engineering-hall/) to keep the campus informed. No injuries were reported. The building was closed for the day and [all Friday Engineering Hall classes were canceled](https://madison.com/news/local/education/university/fire-evacuation-uw-madison-engineering-hall/article_3b852c7c-8553-11ee-954d-ffa0b5e5a588.html). The [City of Madison Fire Department official report](https://www.cityofmadison.com/fire/daily-reports/2023-11-17/mfd-on-scene-of-fire-at-engineering-hall-on-uw-madison-campus) confirmed the fire was unintentional. The case is noteworthy for the rapid and transparent three-alert WiscAlert sequence and the sub-four-minute fire department response time.", "keyFindings": [ "Fire reported at Engineering Hall at 7:33 AM CST on November 17, 2023, caused by maintenance work on an air handling unit", "Madison Fire Department arrived in 3 minutes (7:36 AM) and had the fire knocked down by 7:49 AM CST", "WiscAlert sent at 7:49 AM CST -- the same minute as fire knockdown -- ordering evacuation and area clearance", "Three WiscAlerts sent at 7:49, 8:17, and 8:32 AM CST with status updates", "No injuries reported among students, faculty, or maintenance workers", "All Engineering Hall classes canceled for the day", "Fire was determined to be unintentional -- caused by maintenance work on an air handling unit" ], "responseTimeMinutes": 16, "sources": [ { "title": "UW-Madison Engineering Hall fire was unintentional, firefighters determine - WMTV-15", "url": "https://www.wmtv15news.com/2023/11/17/uw-madison-engineering-hall-evacuated-fire/", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "Updated: UWPD, MFD respond to fire at Engineering Hall - The Badger Herald", "url": "https://badgerherald.com/news/campus/2023/11/17/uwpd-mfd-respond-to-fire-at-engineering-hall/", "type": "student-newspaper" }, { "title": "Fire caused by maintenance work prompts evacuation, closure of UW-Madison Engineering Hall - Madison.com", "url": "https://madison.com/news/local/education/university/fire-evacuation-uw-madison-engineering-hall/article_3b852c7c-8553-11ee-954d-ffa0b5e5a588.html", "type": "local-media" }, { "title": "Fire at Engineering Hall prompts evacuations, canceled classes - The Daily Cardinal", "url": "https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2023/11/fire-at-engineering-hall-prompts-evacuations-canceled-classes", "type": "student-newspaper" }, { "title": "MFD On Scene of Fire at Engineering Hall on UW-Madison Campus - City of Madison Fire Department", "url": "https://www.cityofmadison.com/fire/daily-reports/2023-11-17/mfd-on-scene-of-fire-at-engineering-hall-on-uw-madison-campus", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "WiscAlert message 365 — Engineering Hall fire (alerts.wisc.edu via Wayback)", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231117175302/https://alerts.wisc.edu/messages/365/", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "WiscAlert message 368 — Engineering Hall fire update (alerts.wisc.edu via Wayback)", "url": "https://web.archive.org/web/20231117211034/https://alerts.wisc.edu/messages/368/", "type": "official-archive" }, { "title": "WiscAlert message 365 live path", "url": "https://alerts.wisc.edu/messages/365/", "type": "official-archive" } ], "confidence": "high", "tags": [ "fire", "academic-building", "engineering", "maintenance", "wisconsin", "madison", "wiscelert", "morning", "class-cancellation", "public-r1" ], "dateAdded": "2026-05-31", "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18", "addedBy": "ingestion" }