Madison Children’s Museum: Small fire contained to staff kitchen on non-public floor

Contact: Amy Mertz, 608.256.6445, ext. 539 amertz@madisonchildrensmuseum.org

MADISON, Wis. (August 3, 2010) ― A small fire caused by a faulty coffee pot damaged a fourth- floor staff kitchen at Madison Children’s Museum, but it will not derail any planned events for the upcoming weekend’s gala or the museum’s grand opening on August 14–15.

The fire broke out at about 4:45 a.m. early Tuesday morning. Kitchen cabinets and the kitchen ceiling will need to be replaced due to the fire damage, which the Madison Fire Department has estimated at $40,000 to $50,000, said Ruth Shelly, the museum’s executive director. Insurance adjusters are examining the fire scene and will be able to better determine a specific damage estimate soon.

“We’re grateful that our building protection systems worked as intended,” Shelly said. “The sprinkler system doused the fire, and our alarm company notified both the Madison Fire Department and our building manager, who responded within minutes. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and no exhibits were damaged. Our staff team is terrific, and everyone came in early to help with the cleanup. We even had a generous donor give us a new coffee pot!”

The sprinkler system did go off and has left a lot of water to clean up throughout all floors in the northwest corner of the building, and flood cleanup crews are working swiftly to prevent any damage to the walls and wood floors in the second-floor exhibit area known as Possible-opolis. Replacement of a ceiling on the first floor is the greatest impact to the public portion of the museum at this point.

The museum will hold the sold-out Wonder Ball inaugural gala on Saturday, August 7, as planned. Invitation-only preview events scheduled for August 9–12 also will go on as planned, as will the two-day Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday and Sunday, August 14–15.

Madison Children’s Museum: Madison Children’s Museum (MCM) is an award-winning organization which fosters family and community connections, and provides a place where every child can learn through play in an interactive environment. MCM’s hands-on exhibits and programs celebrate and encourage children’s imaginations and the power of play as the cornerstone of learning.

The museum moved out of its previous facility at 100 State Street on Jan. 4 and is preparing for the opening of its new, permanent home at 100 N. Hamilton Street on the north corner of the Capitol Square. It will reopen August 14 with plenty of new, exciting exhibits along with some longtime favorites.