A massive firefight in downtown Escanaba late Monday night/early Tuesday morning as a large two-story building caught fire at the corner of First Avenue North and North 13th Street.
Escanaba Public Safety says the call came in at 11:04 p.m. at 1219 First Avenue North for the report of a kitchen fire. All of the people who live there were already outside when crews arrived. The officers saw the entire back of the house fully-engulfed in flames and battled the blaze for nearly eight hours.
Large plumes of thick, white smoke could be seen throughout the downtown area after the fire was reported. Another two-story home is located literally several feet from the home that caught fire, and crews were battling all night long to keep that home from also burning.
The home is a total loss, but the adjoining home was saved.
Escanaba Public Safety Lieutenant Jamie Silverstone says that there were no injuries reported in the fire.
“We were fighting with a live electrical wire, which took some time to shut down, which hampered our efforts,” Silverstone told RRN News. “We’re pushing 2,000 to 3,000 gallons a minute (of water), so we actually had to get ahold of the water department and let them know that we were using so much water. At least it’s not windy out, and Ford River is here helping, so we have plenty of manpower.”
Ford River Township Firefighters assisted, along with the Delta County Sheriffs Department, and the American Red Cross helped at the scene.
Crews finally left the scene at 7:00 Tuesday morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
CLICK TO HEAR 2 A.M. INTERVIEW WITH LT. JAMIE SILVERSTONE, EPSD
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