A downtown rental house caught fire on the evening of Friday, January 25, 2013. Initial reports did not include any mention of injuries, and two dogs were reported rescued.
Michigan Daily: Fire breaks out at house near ISR. "AnnArbor.com reporter Ryan Stanton lives in the house and his dog, Stan, was one of those saved by the fire fighters."
Washtenaw County Red Cross, via Facebook: "Five volunteers from the Washtenaw-Lenawee County Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to an apartment fire in the 400 block of South Division Street in Ann Arbor Friday night, and assisted four individuals with food, clothing and lodging. Volunteers also provided canteen service (beverages and snacks) to approximately ten first responders at the scene."
The building is at 401 S Division St. City records show that rental permit CR072626 had expired for the dwelling as of 6/1/2012, so it was being rented without a permit. This from the city "eTrakit" system. The property is marked in eTrakit is noted as been managed by Old Town Realty. This listing shows that a 1 BR unit is asking $1010 for September 2013 occupancy.
Thanks to @johnnn, @msdrdata, and @damnarbor for updates, and for @trevorstaples for the first alert that something was going on. At the time he alerted me I was walking past his classroom.
ANN ARBOR (January 13, 2013, 11:06 pm) - A fire at a 6 unit apartment building at 1310 Packard in Ann Arbor sent 6 people to the hospital, all in stable condition, according to a report from Michigan Daily reporter Sam Gringlas who is on the scene and who spoke with Huron Valley Ambulance spokeswoman Joyce Williams. A photograph from the reporter shows smoke billowing out of a window.
At 9:13 p.m. the fire was reportedly "fully involved", and fire dispatch (monitored via scanner) called for mutual aid assistance. Units from multiple neighboring jurisdictions including Pittsfield Township and Ypsilanti Township came to the scene.
Packard is blocked between Wells and Brooklyn, and motorists should seek alternative routes.
The building was listed for sale, with an asking price of $550,000, on CommercialIQ.
The building is owned by The High-way Company Interational LLC, Bashar J Abdulsattar as registered agent.
For further information, see a more complete story from the Michigan Daily, which has filed their report at of 1:10 a.m.
A 10:45 p.m. story from the AnnArbor.com has a photograph. A 10:28 p.m. story from the Detroit Free Press quotes a police spokesman that 4 people were injured, including 3 police offices.
This is preliminary information subject to confirmation.
UPDATE Monday January 14, 2013: A follow-on story from AnnArbor.com quotes city housing official Ralph Welton and notes that the apartment units had been in violation of fire-related rental ordinances and were operating without a certificate of occupancy.
UPDATE Monday 1/14 3:45 pm. A copy of the latest inspection record, downloaded from the city eTrakit system, is excerpted below noting multiple violations including missing smoke detectors.
UPDATE Monday 1/14 7:50 pm. In March 2011 the building was posted as "uninhabitable" because of housing code violations, per eTrakit.
Some sources for information on the Duck Lake Fire, which started on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 and is burning rapidly in Luce County, north of Newberry, MI. The fire is dangerous and has caused evacuations; if you are reading this and you are in the area, seek authoritative and current information from official sources.
The fire brings to mind the 2007 Sleeper Lake Fire which burned over 18,000 acres in Luce County.
At this point, the Duck Lake Fire area is 55 percent contained.
The latest estimate on structure loss is that there are 138 properties within the perimeter of the fire; 115 sites have been inspected to this point, with 23 sites remaining. Inspections are ongoing, and it is anticipated that they will be completed today. A total of 115 structures have been lost.
8:00 pm Tuesday, May 29 map. From the DNR:
The Duck Lake Fire team really needs to hear from people who have property located within the fire area (especially those property owners that may be out of state). U.P. residents call 211; all others call 800-338-1119. Please give your name, fire number and road, and contact info so we can provide updates as damage assessments are completed. (Folks who've already called and provided fire number and road name do NOT need to call again.)
11:00 pm Sunday map: Duck Lake fire map from Sunday at 2040 (8:40 pm). Note the new dozer line at the south end of the fire, some expansion to the east, and a better detail on the western edge of the fire. The inset map now shows the fire in context relative to Newberry.
New GPS data show that the fire is now estimated to cover 20,255 acres. Forty-eight percent of the fire area is contained.
The south end of the fire is 14 miles north of Newberry and 7 miles west from Tahquamenon Falls State Park campgrounds. The fire is long and narrow and stretches 11 miles to the north to Lake Superior. There are currently 40 miles of fire line. Of that fire line, 6 miles is Lake Superior shoreline, 13 miles is completed line (includes County Road 500), and 21 miles is uncontained fire line. Access is very difficult with few roads.
The fire is now 21,114 acres in size, having grown slightly overnight. The south end of the fire is 14 miles north of Newberry and 7 miles west from Tahquamenon Falls State Park campgrounds. The fire is long and narrow and stretches 11 miles to the north to Lake Superior. The fire area includes 6 miles of Lake Superior shoreline and 29.5 miles of uncontained fire line. Access is very difficult with few roads.
11:00 pm Friday update: new fire map, marked 5-25-2012 1200. Compared to the one below from 0530, this shows expansion of the fire along the northeast and eastern edge and a new acreage estimate of 17935 acres burned. Courtesy Michigan DNR.
National Weather Service, Marquette, MI Duck Lake Fire Decision Support Hazard page. Weather and fire maps, radar and aerial imagery, and forecasts. This is a false color MODIS image from Friday, May 25, showing the burn scar and the plume of smoke heading towards the Soo. Facebook: US NWS Marquette.
As of 7 a.m. Friday, May 25, the Duck Lake Fire in Luce County continues to grow and is approximately 17,000 acres. Air crews are working the fire and an incident management team is on the ground. Multiple structures have been lost and others are threatened. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been notified. Updates will be posted as information becomes available.
This fire map shows the situation as of Friday a.m.
FAA NOTAM 2/4255: Flights are restricted from the surface up to 8000 feet MSL in an area near Newberry in order to "provide a safe environement for fire fighting".
Local news sources:
WNBY, AM 1450 in Newberry, MI is a good source of local news if you are in the area. The 1450 WNBY Facebook page is a rallying point for community news and information.
You can Depend on Newberry's Information Leader. We're going to get an update from the 4pm DNR briefing and will have the latest on the air on 1450 WNBY and here online . Very helpful that the DNR Office is across the road from Newberry's Radio Station. If you have pictures, updates or infomation you can call us at 906-293-3221 or email Travis in our News Center at travis@wnby.net .
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the blaze it’s calling the Duck Lake Fire was in an area north of Newberry that includes Lake Superior State Forest land and approached Lake Superior. It was detected Wednesday after a lightning strike and intensified Thursday — burning along the tops of jack pine trees in the forest.
Winds shifted early Friday morning, causing 50 mile an hour wind gusts to hit the fire and change directions of the blaze. Gary Willis, Public Information Officer for the DNR, says the east end of the fire is now the head of the fire and that there was zero containment as of Friday morning. Officials also say that flame heights reached 200 feet in some places.
The DNR says if the fire continues on its current path, it will get to within one mile of the Upper Falls viewing area by Friday night. Officials urged visitors to avoid the Tahquamenon Falls area during the Memorial Day weekend.
Friday 6:00 pm update: Governor Snyder declares state of disaster in Luce and Schoolcraft counties. All state resources available to support response efforts. Snyder also issued Executive Order 2012-8 activating the National Guard to provide assistance. A hotline has been established for the public to check for status updates, call 855-440-6424 for the latest information.
ANN ARBOR (Friday, November 11, 2011) - A house on Riverwood (at Timber Trail, off Newport north of M-14) caught fire at about 10:00 a.m. this morning. No estimate on damages yet, no report of injuries to people. Details follow.
(ANN ARBOR CITY - INTEROP 4) FULLY INVOLVED 2 STORY HOUSE FIRE. FULL AAFD RESPONSE. MA YPSI CITY, YPSI TWN, AND PITTSFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT. (as seen on Radio Reference)
This was right after I heard an explosion and went to go see what it was. (doodlebot)
Fire started in the garage a about 10:00am. Fire department arrived quickly and was able to control the fire. Everyone safe, but dogs were lost. (doodlebot)
Ann Arbor firefighters were dispatched to the home at 9:41 a.m. at the corner of Riverwood Drive and Timber Trail, northwest of downtown Ann Arbor, after a garage fire was reported, according to assistant chief Steve Lowe....
The Ann Arbor Fire Department called for mutual aid while on the way to the home. Crews from the Pittsfield Township Public Safety Department, Ypsilanti Fire Department, Ypsilanti Township Fire Department and Ann Arbor Police Department all responded to the scene. Huron Valley Ambulance service also responded to the fire.
SkyFOX captured images over the home on the 1800 block of Riverwood Dr. before 11 a.m. Friday. The flames look to have spread throughout the entire home, even reaching a car in the driveway.
A FOIA request has been filed with the City of Ann Arbor for details on the fire.
updates
1045p added Radio Reference; looking for how to help the family
No support for rich text editing in safari, but otherwise performant. Kind of nice.
I'll need to really learn markdown for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that it descends from setext.
Ann Arbor
A2B3 lunch is Thursday as always.
Ann Arbor Parks did trick or treat today, Sunday, noon to 4pm on the Huron River.
Arborwiki makes a good companion as you go for errands around town.
Ann Arbor City Council elections and a millage are coming up. The Ann Arbor Chronicle has characteristically thorough coverage of the League of Women Voters forums.
Some project, not yet identified, has North Main torn up at Catherine. A second project has North Division down to a single lane. Expect delays.
No one was hurt in last week's fire on Harpst.
I'm trying a neighborhood LinkedIn group to see what kind of density I need to get enough people to make a group worthwhile; it might make sense to grab people closest first and then out by distance.
Metro Detroit
Tigers lost in the ALCS, and I'm looking forward to spring training.
Power outages from the Saturday windstorms were worst in Warren.
National
Occupy Chicago has had a lot of protest, via the Chicago Tribune which was on the scene.
Occupy Wall Street took over Times Square.
Living
I am tracking steps with a pedometer again, thanks to Paul Resnick and a research group at UMSI.
Statler and Waldorf have taken over the Muppets twitter account. New movie due for Thanksgiving. Cue the Muppets.
Recipes
The wind on Saturday made farmers market blustery. Squash of all sizes and varieties were there, and there's nothing like a big old Hubbard squash to keep the corner of a table down. A farmer was doing the frost dance but said they had none at the last full moon. Traditionally, it's said that the best way to open a Hubbard is to take an axe to it, or to throw it down into the cellar.
Working
It's hard to have great weird ideas when you are closing trouble tickets.
My new employer Nutshell has an office where my former employer Pure Visibility used to have it's offices.
Obituaries
Steve Jobs, Dennis Ritchie, Einar Steffrud.
Books
Books moved recently include Kawabata's, Snow Country, to be shelved on the Heikki Lunta shelf to prepare me for winter.
Tech
Pinboard now supports Gopher urls in bookmarks.
Sports
Michigan football lost to State. It was as good an excuse as any to call my aunt who went to East Lansing.
ANN ARBOR, October 7, 11:30 p.m. - A house near the corner of Harpst Street and Tremmell Avenue was on fire on the evening of October 7, 2011. This photo is provided courtesy of Mike Nowak (@snackdog) and is used with permission. The Ann Arbor Fire Department cleared the scene just after 11:00 p.m, according to radio monitoring reports.
Enough smoke was generated by the fire that residents of the nearby Woodbury Gardens complex called for help, and trucks from Pittsfield Township and Ypsilanti Township were seen departing the scene. According to apartment resident Amanda Szot, there was no fire in the complex, despite the substantial amount of smoke seen there.
Smoke from the fire could be smelled all the way to north to East Stadium at Westminster, and as far east as East Stadium at Packard.
Fire department officials were not available to confirm details; a call to the battalion chief at the Ann Arbor Fire Department's non-emergency number, 734-794-6961, went to voice mail.
A records request has been submitted for records relevant to this incident; typically, this would result in a records release on or about October 17, 2011.
- 30 -
12:41pm Sat: location detail, smoky area expansion
Labor Day was a particularly bad day for fires in central Texas. If you're in that area, you may be looking for maps of where the fires are around you. Of course, you're already listening to local radio and television for news that you would need to make a decision quickly.
The NOAA Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product has a comprehensive index to many smoke and fire related data analysis tools, including detailed current and historic analyzed satellite imagery and other processed and raw data.
GeoMAC is the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group; its fire maps draw data from MODIS, and it incorporates other data from agencies involved in fire coordination and fire fighting. This map from Tuesday evening, September 6, 2011, shows the Bastrop County Complex Fire, one of the largest fires in Texas history. For a sense of scale, the colored circles are each about a mile in diameter.
The Twitter hash tags #centraltxfires and #txfire are being used for coordination, as well as a host of other tags for local fires. The Blogs of War Crisis Monitor is streaming relevant links.
Texas-Fire.com ably collects news reports of interest to Texas firefighters and other emergency professionals. Look to their Central Texas fire news page for information about fires in the region.
News stories, many of which have photos: Andrew Keller at UpNorthLive: "Families go home"
The firefighters looked exhausted today, but those men and women were still at it, making sure this fire wouldn't pick back up and damage would stay at 817 acres.
Mary Detloff, spokeswoman for the state Department of Natural Resources, says weather maps from the National Weather Service show there was a strike in the area Monday.
"It's our theory that a jack pine was struck that night, or some time on Monday, and probably smoldered until winds picked up on Tuesday, which caused the fire to spread," she says.
A portion of the jack pine forest is on fire near Grayling, MI. Generally, fires of a substantial size get a name; this one is the Howes Lake Wildfire. The reporting started before the name was established so initial reports did not always use consistent naming, and I started with the "Howes Lake Fire" name since it was the first name in shared use.
Here's details from reliable news sources that are likely to continue to have good information, updated at 12:30 am Wednesday.
The Michigan DNR is sending reports out on Twitter via the @MichiganDNR account. They started out are using the hashtag #wildfire; following that will also pick up coverage of the (much larger) fires in Arizona. After a while the report changed to #howeslakewildfire and that's unique (and the full name of the fire).
<MichiganDNR> #HowesLakeWildfire update: Howes Lake Rd remains closed, will be patrolled by fire crew& police officers overnight. More updates in the AM.
<MichiganDNR> #HowesLakeWildfire: 100% containment expected by midnight. Fire crews will then deal with dousing any remaining hotspots in the morning.
7:45-The DNR now estimates the fire size is between 600-800 acres. Officials on the ground say a "small spot fire" jumped the road however it was put out immediately. The main part of the forest fire did not jump the road.
4:20 pm. 7&4's Andrew Keller says he's talked with a family who lives off of Manistee River Road who looked out their door and saw 15 foot flames about 1/4 mile from their home. The family started going door to door to warn their neighbors and evacuate the area.
An unknown number of homes are being evacuated this afternoon because of a 250-acre wildfire west of Grayling and north of M-72, near Howes Lake.
WCMU News via Twitter, a bit later;
<WCMUNews> DNR says Crawford county wildfire is 1,000 acres and crowning in jackpine forest. Located @ Kalkaska-Crawford county line W. of Grayling
<WCMUNews> Howes Lake Fire in Crawford County is 1/4 -1/3 mile wide. moving NE. DNR asks you to stay away from the area while fire crews work
The June 7, 2011 Active Fire Mapping Program from the US Forest Service does not have a "large fire" dot on the map for the fire as of 4:15 pm Tuesday.
The Crawford County Emergency Management Department reported that a wildfire started Tuesday afternoon and is burning near Camp Shawono on Howes Lake Road. The Grayling Fire Department, Kalkaska Fire Department and Frederic Fire Department were all on scene to battle the blaze. The fire is going in a northwesterly direction.
Camp Shawono is the Shawono Center, managed by the Michigan Department of Human Services.
The Shawono Center is a secure treatment facility for male juveniles between the ages of 12 and 21 years who have been adjudicated for one or more felony counts. The Center offers 3 specialized treatment programs. The Sex Offenders program has 20 beds and limits the contact with the other treatment groups. The addictions/Substance Abuse Treatment group and the general delinquents treatment group, with mild to medium mental health issues, each have 9 treatment beds.
Current news is coming out via twitter, in fragments. Follow @WCMUNews and @MichiganDNR for a start. Photos from the scene appear on most of the television web site feeds.
Last year's Meridian Fire coverage was a start in getting this account put together; I'll expect to see the DNR put together incident maps for use by firefighters and the media once an operations command gets a chance to settle.
