Busy Night For Battle Creek Firefighters After Two Separate Blazes Within An Hour

Two fires, one late Sunday evening and the other early Monday morning led to an active night for Battle Creek firefighters.

The first one was reported at around 11:15 pm at a home in the 1100 block of Lakeside Drive. When fire crews arrived, one side of the exterior of the dwelling was on fire and the occupants had made it safely outside. The fire was extinguished fairly quickly and crews were on scene for approximately one hour. No injuries were reported and no damage estimate has been given. The fire was caused by discarded ash that was put into a yard waste container outside of the house.

The second blaze was reported just after 12:15 am in the 200 block of Calhoun Street and one firefighter suffered minor injuries. When crews arrived they found smoke showing from the second floor and the occupants were safely outside. Further investigations showed there was an active basement fire that had extended up to the second-floor walls. Fire crews extended hand lines to extinguish the fire and opened up the walls and ceiling to ensure the fire had not extended further. The structure had extensive fire damage in the basement. Crews were on scene for approximately three hours. The firefighter was injured while pulling the ceiling and walls but declined medical treatment. The fire marshal is investigating the cause but it does not appear to be suspicious.