Storage building north of campus in Mount Pleasant burns, billowing smoke across city
A fire at a storage facility on Walnut and Mills Streets drew crowds and spread smoke throughout the City of Mount Pleasant Wednesday evening as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze.
Lt. Randy Keeler of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department said a 911 call was received around 6:47 p.m. According to a Thursday morning press release, firefighters arrived at the scene at 6:52 p.m., observing heavy smoke conditions coming from the building.
Access to the building, the building's construction and compartmentalization made extinguishing the fire difficult, according to the release. The fire was brought under control at approximately 3 a.m. after a bulldozer was brought in to demolish parts of the structure.
The building at 200 Walnut St., a 10,000 square foot masonry structure, was the location of the Sowle Mayflower Moving Company. Witnesses said the building was filled with furniture.
The release states the fire caused extensive damage to the building and destroyed all its contents.
Residents directly south of the fire were evacuated due to heavey smoke conditions.
Over 30 firefighters from three departments assisted in combating the fire, including the Deerfield Fire Department, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Fire Department, Shepherd Tri-Township Fire Department, Mt. Pleasant Police Department and Mobile Medical Rescue.
Tolas Brothers, Inc. provided and operated the bulldozer during the incident.
No injuries were reported. The fire remains under investigation at this time.
