Battle Creek Fire Department Called To Vacant Building

Battle Creek fire crews had to respond to reports of a fire at a vacant office building Thursday afternoon. The Battle Creek Fire Department says they were called to the former Southwest Regional Rehabilitation Center at 393 East Roosevelt Avenue across from Kellogg Community College just after noon for a fire reported on the outside of the building.

Firefighters arrived to find an exterior light fixture on the west wall of the building which was quickly extinguished. Crews searched the inside but did not find any extension of the flames further in the building.

The Battle Creek Fire Department says that the fire was probably caused by an electrical issue, and electrical service to the light was turned off. The Southwest Regional Rehabilitation announced their closure in late 2014, citing changes to Medicare and Medicaid as the reason; the building has been vacant ever since. ​