DuPont-Lapeer airport hangar sustains fire damage
MAYFIELD TWP. — A coordinated effort by multiple Lapeer County fire departments prevented extensive destruction following a multi-alarm fire at the DuPont-Lapeer Airport on Sept. 7, according to City of Lapeer Fire Chief Mike Vogt.
It was another strong effort from area fire departments that helped save further damage from being done at the DuPont-Lapeer Airport Hanger in Mayfield Township, Vogt said in a news release.
Lapeer County Central Dispatch received multiple 911 calls from motorists reporting smoke rising from an aircraft hangar at approximately 7 p.m. First responders from Lapeer Fire & Rescue arrived three minutes later to find smoke billowing from the 440-by-50-foot structure. Given the building’s size and the distinct hazards linked to aviation facilities, commanders quickly upgraded the incident to a second alarm.
“A working fire was declared, and because of the building’s size and the potential hazards associated with aircraft hangars, the incident was upgraded to a second alarm,” Vogt reported.
The building is a large aircraft hangar divided into multiple individual units and bays. No one was at the airport or inside the hangar at the time of the fire. Because of the potential hazards within the building, firefighters took additional precautions before opening the individual areas of the hangar.
According to the chief, adequate staffing and a reliable water supply were established before firefighters began extinguishing the fire. Water was supplied using both a nearby fire hydrant and water tenders. He said three aircraft, housed in the large 440 foot by 50 foot structure, sustained significant heat or fire damage.
“It is divided into 20 individual units with a fire break in the middle. The majority of damage was isolated to approximately five hangars. However, a large portion of the building had some type of smoke particulate within it,” said Vogt.
Aircraft hangars can present a number of different hazards for firefighters, according to Vogt.
“Our priority was making sure we had the staffing and water supply in place before opening the individual areas of the building. Once that was established, firefighters were able to bring the incident under control within approximately 30 minutes,” he said.
One firefighter suffered a non-life-threatening injury during the incident while no civilian injuries were reported.
Lapeer County fire departments utilized automatic mutual aid for reported structure fires, such as the one last week. The initial alarm included City of Lapeer Fire & Rescue and Arcadia Township Fire Department. The second alarm brought specific additional resources from Imlay City Fire Department, Attica Township Fire Department and Deerfield Township Fire Department.
Elba Township Fire Department was also requested to provide a ladder truck. The airport was temporarily closed while electrical power to the affected area was isolated and no flight traffic was impacted, according to the chief. Firefighters cleared the scene at approximately 10:35 p.m.
Lapeer Fire & Rescue is leading the origin and cause investigation. Due to the size and configuration of the building, multiple individual property owners and the number of parties with an interest in the property, the investigation and scene examination will take time to complete, Vogt said.
Additional fire investigators and investigators representing insurance companies may also participate.
The chief said additional information will be released when it becomes available.
“We would also like to thank the motorists who noticed smoke coming from the building and immediately called 911. If you see smoke or something that does not look right, do not assume someone else has already called. Early notification gives firefighters valuable time to respond before conditions worsen,” he said.
