Overview
- Trinity United Methodist Church, which caught fire Monday night in downtown Madison, filled the area with heavy smoke as crews fought the flames for hours.
- Firefighters began with an interior attack, then shifted to defensive operations after a south second-floor wall and a large section of the roof collapsed, with a partial collapse on the north wall.
- Officials reported no civilian or firefighter injuries and said the cause remains under investigation after an initial dispatch for a golf cart fire with exposure to nearby structures.
- City alerts kept Broadway Street closed between Third and Main with limited access for residents and business owners, and crews worked to assess damage and restore power.
- Mayor Bob Courtney said the church will be rebuilt, highlighting the 19th-century landmark’s 212-foot bell tower and irreplaceable pipe organ as symbols of what the community aims to preserve.