Hot Metal From Auto Repair Starts Fire At Battle Creek House

A fire in Battle Creek caused by errant disposal of things used in auto repair led to some damage late Monday night.

The Battle Creek Fire Department says that several of their crews were called to a home in the first block of N. LaVista Blvd. around 10:30pm Monday on reports of a house fire; they got there to find the rear of the house on fire, and they contacted the occupants of the home to make sure everyone got out okay.

Crews worked quickly to extinguish the blaze with a hand line, and they were able to confirm that the flames were kept to the outside of the house and didn't enter into the building proper. Smoke was ventilated, and it was confirmed that no flames were hiding under the siding.

The BCFD interviewed the owner, and they said that they had put hot metal into a trash can at the rear of the home; the hot metal was from a vehicle repair. The owner went back inside their home, and they were alerted to the fire by a neighbor who spotted it; they were then able to get out safely.