Two dumpsters set on fire at Lexington Ridge Apartments

The Mount Pleasant Fire Department responded to two dumpster fires Thursday night at the Lexington Ridge Apartments, 3700 E. Deerfield Road.

Each started within roughly a half hour of each other. The first one began around 10:30 p.m., while the other was lit at approximately 11 p.m.

An MPFD official said they had gotten back to the station when they received another fire from Lexington Ridge Apartments.

“I had just filled the truck up with water when we got the call,” the MPFD official said. “I didn’t have time to do anything else.”

The official said dumpster fires have become commonplace at this time of year.

Walker senior Scott Nicks said he had witnessed the original fire, which involved boat flares that were being swung around from broom handles.

“I just saw the flames going up, and a bunch of people were running over taking pictures and celebrating,” Nicks said.

Nicks said he was inside watching the Detroit Red Wings playoff game when he saw the fire.

“It was 15-20 minutes until the fire department got here,” Nicks said. “There was a lot of popping and breaking coming from the dumpster. There is no harm in lighting a little dumpster fire.”

Shortly after the fire department left, the second fire began at the east end of the parking lot.

An Isabella County Sheriff Department police car was on scene and circled the parking lots after it was extinguished.

St. Clair Shores senior Abbie Donnelly said she saw the second fire but did not know who or what started it.

“I was over at my friend’s house, and I saw the dumpster had caught on fire, so I called 911 because they were just here,” Donnelly said. “I told them, ‘Sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but there is another fire.’”

Donnelly said she felt bad for the firefighters and that she saw a beer can shoot out of the dumpster while others were standing around it, taking more pictures.

No one was harmed at either fires, and no arrests were made.