Abandoned Mill St. Building in Kalamazoo Destroyed in Sunday Fire
While many people were getting ready to celebrate their dads with Father's Day, firefighters were battling a blaze that erupted in an empty building in Kalamazoo.
The building, on the corner of Mill Street and Riverview, was reported to be on fire early on Sunday morning, according to a press release from The City of Kalamazoo Public Safety. The press release goes on to say that firefighters arrived around 4:30 in the morning to find flames engulfing the first and second floors. Thermal imaging was used to check for potential victims inside the building who, thankfully, were not found. The fire itself was under control in about 45 minutes. However, officials remained on the scene for hours to ensure that no hot spots remained.
I drove by just after noon on Sunday (Father's Day) and spotted the fire trucks surrounding the building. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick on the draw with my phone so I wasn't able to get any pictures. But, someone on Reddit snagged a quick video:
An investigation is being conducted by the Fire Marshal's office to determine what started the fire. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at 337-8120 or Silent Observer at 343-2100.
Some commenters on the above Reddit post expressed sadness over the loss of the building since it had the potential for remodeling. As far as the building goes, it looks completely destroyed. Again you can check out the above video. Also, WWMT News Channel 3 snagged some photos which you can see here.