MADISON — Officials say accumulated rain water led to a roof collapse Monday evening at a Woodman’s in Madison.
No injuries to customers or employees were reported.
According to a news release, the Madison Fire Department was dispatched about 8:40 p.m. Monday to Woodman’s grocery store on Milwaukee Street, with multiple 911 callers reporting a roof collapse and water pouring into the building. There was also a further report of a smell of smoke in the building.
Engine Co. 5, already in the vicinity, responded to investigate. No alarms were sounding upon their arrival and there was no evacuation in progress. Upon entry, Engine 5 confirmed a large part of the roof had collapsed and water accumulated in that area of the store. The Madison Fire Department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team (HURT) was immediately dispatched to the scene, and Madison Police were requested for traffic and perimeter control.
Firefighters ordered store management to evacuate all customers and to have all employees report to a specific area so they all could be accounted for. No injuries to customers or employees were reported.
Firefighters further confirmed there was no fire in the building.
Engine 5 worked with building maintenance to shut down electrical power. MFD crews took measures to begin removing accumulated water, and MGE responded to shut down natural gas supply to the building. Facility engineers confirmed there was no damage to the refrigeration lines running through the ceiling.
The MFD HURT arrived on location at 9:04 PM and began assessing the damage. The HURT determined that the roof structure outside the immediate vicinity of the collapse was intact and undamaged. The team determined there was no need to shore the collapse. An ample safety perimeter was established, and all employees and other occupants were ordered to stay outside of the perimeter.
Firefighters used an air monitor to verify that there were no additional hazards such as natural gas leaks or leaking chemicals.
The MFD HURT examined the rooftop along with City of Madison Building Inspection and the building’s engineer. They found that the two main roof drains near the collapse zone were plugged with debris, confirming suspicions that the roof collapse was the result of accumulated storm water. Additional roof drains outside the collapse zone were inspected, and several were cleared of debris.
Employees were advised they could start moving products around the store but they were not to enter the safety perimeter. A fire watch was established overnight, as the store’s sprinkler and automatic fire alarm system had been shut down during the operation.
MFD crews cleared from the call by 11:15 PM.
