Crews Battle Outdoor Fire Near Madison

Multiple fire departments respond to blaze burning tires and railroad ties

Mar. 30, 2026 at 8:50pm

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A vast, hazy landscape painting depicting a raging wildfire consuming a dense forest in the distance, conveying the overwhelming, sublime scale of the natural disaster through dramatic atmospheric lighting and sweeping brushstrokes.A raging wildfire consumes the distant forest, highlighting the raw power and unpredictable nature of such natural disasters.Madison Today

Multiple fire departments were called to fight a large outdoor fire on Sunday afternoon near Madison, Wisconsin. The fire was burning about 200 feet off Portage Road near Hanson Road, with an estimated 10 acres of land already burning or damaged when crews arrived. Firefighters found a pile of tires and two large stacks of railroad ties on fire, which was spreading in multiple directions. It took around 45 minutes for crews to knock down the major blazes, though the cause of the fire is still under investigation and believed to have been started intentionally.

Why it matters

Outdoor fires can pose a significant threat to nearby structures, animals, and the environment, especially in dry conditions. The response of multiple fire departments highlights the importance of coordinated emergency efforts to contain and extinguish large-scale blazes in rural and semi-rural areas around Madison.

The details

When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found a pile of tires and two large stacks of railroad ties actively burning, with the fire spreading in multiple directions across about 10 acres of land. Madison Fire Department crews used their entire water can extinguisher on the tire pile and fought the grass and tree fires with tank water and foam, while Sun Prairie Fire and DeForest Fire assisted in containing the blaze from other directions. After the major fires were put out, crews worked to extinguish hot spots around the perimeter.

  • The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2026.
  • Firefighters arrived on the scene and began battling the blaze.
  • The fire was declared knocked down at 4:21 p.m., around 45 minutes after crews arrived.

The players

Madison Fire Department

The local fire department that responded to the scene and led the firefighting efforts, using water and foam to extinguish the tire pile and contain the spreading grass and tree fires.

Sun Prairie Fire

A neighboring fire department that assisted Madison Fire in fighting the fire along the southern line to prevent it from reaching heavier brush.

DeForest Fire

A fire department that sent additional brush trucks and tenders to help fight the fire, focusing on the western flank that was heading towards the road.

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What’s next

Investigators from the Madison Fire Department and local law enforcement will continue to look into the cause of the fire, which is believed to have been started intentionally.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of coordinated emergency response and the dangers posed by outdoor fires, especially in rural and semi-rural areas where they can quickly spread and threaten nearby structures and the environment. The successful containment of the blaze by multiple fire departments underscores the value of regional cooperation in addressing large-scale emergencies.