Overview
- A malfunctioning battery-powered forklift ignited the Central Storage Warehouse fire in Madison.
- Stored butter, lard, and cheese melted into rivers of grease that made walking and hose work dangerous.
- Authorities ordered a roughly half-mile evacuation of about 3,000 people when anhydrous ammonia tanks were at risk.
- Two freezer buildings and their contents were destroyed, with losses reported at more than $70 million.
- At least 12 firefighters were injured, and crews used booms and sand to keep grease out of drains and nearby lakes.