10 fire depts. battle Lapeer apartment fire

Firefighters overcome frigid temps to handle blaze

 

LAPEER — Firefighters from ten departments in a three-county area raced to the City of Lapeer Thursday morning, after receiving requests for mutual aid on a structure fire.

Departments responded from Lapeer, Genesee and Oakland counties.

With extreme cold and freezing temperatures being a factor, incident command requested a manpower strike team activation, bring additional personnel from Tri-City Times coverage area departments including Almont, Dryden, Imlay City, Attica Twp. and Berlin Twp.

City of Lapeer Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Vogt, who was Incident Commander at the scene, issued the following statement, following the incident.

“On January 2, 2025, the City of Lapeer Fire-Rescue Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 31003 Village West Dr. N at 8:07 a.m.

Initial reports from dispatch indicated visible flames from a ground-floor apartment window on the east side of the building, with no signs of evacuation.

Our staff and automatic mutual aid partner, Elba Township Fire-Rescue, responded and elevated the incident to a third alarm due to the fire’s nature, limited initial personnel, and the potential for occupants being trapped.”

The prepared statement went on to say, “This escalation brought critical support from neighboring fire departments, including: Metamora Township, Davison-Richfield, Oxford, Attica Twp. the Lapeer County Southeast Manpower Strike Team: Including Imlay City, Dryden, Almont, and Berlin Fire Departments.

Upon arrival, flames and smoke from a bottom-floor apartment in building #3 were visible.

Additionally, flames extended from the first-floor window to the second-floor apartment directly above the fire apartment.”

Chief Vogt said with support from Lapeer Police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and Michigan State Police troopers, the building was immediately evacuated.

All occupants were safely evacuated, and two elderly residents from the originating apartment were transported to McLaren Lapeer Region for evaluation with non-life-threatening injuries.

“The fire, exacerbated by hoarding conditions in the originating apartment and brisk winds, was brought under control in approximately 80 minutes.’ Chief Vogt explained.

He added, “Thanks to the exceptional efforts of fire-rescue personnel and mutual aid partners, fire damage was contained to the originating apartment, the common hallway, and the unit above.”

Building #3 contains 12 apartment units with 17 residents.

City ordinance requires each apartment to have working smoke alarms. Chief Vogt said the structure that was burned was last inspected in May 2024 and was within compliance.

The building’s electricity, natural gas, and water remain disconnected while Village West management coordinates with Servpro, DTE, and Consumers Energy to restore services to unaffected units.

Lapeer County Emergency Manager Sarah Whaley provided crucial on-scene coordination with the American Red Cross and apartment management to secure temporary housing for displaced residents.

Additional agencies provided essential support, including: Lapeer County EMS, Lapeer County Central Dispatch, Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Lapeer Department of Public Works.

The City of Lapeer Fire-Rescue Department extends its deepest gratitude to all the fire departments and agencies that responded.

Chief Vogt lauded area departments, saying, “Your professionalism, dedication, and teamwork were influential in safely managing this incident.”

He extended a special thank-you to Aladdin’s Restoration for providing refreshments on-site throughout the incident.

Oregon St was closed to thru traffic during the incident and re-opened after units had cleared the scene.

“Today’s response exemplifies the strength of our partnerships and the professionalism of our team,” said Chief Vogt. “Through coordinated efforts, we contained a potentially devastating situation and ensured the safety of our community and emergency personnel.”

The scene was cleared at 12:00 p.m. The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation by the City of Lapeer’s fire investigators.