Two fires stretch crews thin in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Township
Blazes lit the night sky above an elegant Ann Arbor house and a vacant apartment building in Ypsilanti Township, shooting flames above the treetops and stretching no fewer than six Washtenaw County fire departments to their limit Saturday evening.
Both blazes were reported just after nightfall and required the strenuous efforts of firefighters before being extinguished.
The 8.32 p.m. call about a house fire at 3485 Narrow Gauge Way, in east Ann Arbor, received response from nine Ann Arbor Fire Department units. Ann Arbor Township assisted with two more units.
Meanwhile, just after 8:00 p.m., the Ypsilanti Township Fire Department was joined at the Stevens Drive apartment fire by units from the Ypsilanti Fire Department and Superior and Pittsfield Townships on a blaze that shot through the roof of the abandoned structure.
No injury was reported at either site.
Ann Arbor Battalion Chief Chuck Hubbard said he had “no idea—who’s to say?” about what caused the large house at the corner of Narrow Gauge Way and Watershed Drive. The home was more than 50-percent consumed when firefighters arrived.
“The crews did a great job of getting it knocked down with what we had,” he said. Five hose lines were advanced to quench the flames. Several off-duty firefighters had to be called back to help at the scene.
A man who said he was at the Narrow Gauge Way address when the fire broke out stood in the street with neighbors but declined to answer questions about how it began.
Hubbard said he would have preferred additional help, but other departments were already tied up in Ypsilanti Township.
Ypsilanti Township Fire Department officials remained at the scene of the apartment building fire last Saturday and were unavailable for comment.
(Photo: Firefighters extinguish a blaze at a home on Narrow Gauge Way in Ann Arbor late Saturday.)
Comments
bunnyabbot
Mon, Sep 7, 2009 : 10:40 p.m.
you can interview the mayor all day long everyday and ask him why cutting the FD is in the best interest of the city and you will get some answer about costs and then when you bring up spending money like it grows on trees you will get some answer about the "vision" of A2 bulldookie. Visions are sooooo much better than peoples safety and livelyhood. when it comes down to it I'll take a firefighter over the mayor anyday. So much more to respect a uniform than a talking head.
63Townie
Mon, Sep 7, 2009 : 9:09 p.m.
The Mayor, Roger Fraser and City Council are fooling themselves if they think they can continue to cut firefighters and scrape by, hoping to get lucky. This was an instance where the concept of mutual aid failed, Ypsi and the surrounding townships were busy with their own crisis. The firefighters on the scene made a great stop and saved what they could of the building. When will someone have the courage to stop Fraser and Co. from bulding monuments to themselves and do what's right for the city?
Sherry
Mon, Sep 7, 2009 : 5:17 p.m.
Loved your feelings Born/Raised on maybe how we could get some answers but would we get the truth to any questions. I highly doubt it. I guess we are just going to have to hug that artwork that came before peoples lives. I really wanted to say again that everyone wrote comments you were honest. A word that our City Employees do not know. So, I will say it again but with a y at the end. HONESTY!
BornNRaised
Mon, Sep 7, 2009 : 11:22 a.m.
Wow. Good post. Ok, so I know the staff reads these posts because they've removed some in the past. So my question is why don't you guys do an interview with both the Mayor and the Supervisor and ask why they keep spending like money is growing on trees around this city, then cry that they have to cut our fire department? They already closed a city station a few years ago. The city lost a station and firefighters. Now they keep chipping away at them more. When is it enough? Glad they could find the money to spend hundreds of thousands on art work for the new Taj Mahal city building. Maybe they you're house is on fire, you're having a heart attack, get into a car accident, or being robbed you can hug that art and feel safe.
Sherry
Mon, Sep 7, 2009 : 10:52 a.m.
I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, and it has become a City that only caters to the pockets of the Mayor and the so-called City Council. Ann Arbor used to be a proud City and now has anybody listened to the laughing about everyone here? Maybe it is time to re-elect a Mayor and City Council who cares about keeping their residents safe! We lost a wonderful firefighter on a cold icy night on I-94 at Jackson Rd. who was doing a job she loved and who was there to make sure that these brave men and women were safe? I think the Washtenaw County Road Commission should hold some blame for her death as well. Where were the Salt trucks that night? Why was there no one blocking off that part of the Expressway? Maybe if there had been those things taken into consideration, she would still be working at Station Three doing a job she loved. Instead of putting the Tax dollars into so many high rises for the rich and just put the money where it is really needed and that would go for getting more Firefighters and Police back on the job. Look around Ann Arborites and see how the City is going downhill. Stand up and speak for these Firefighters and Police and tell the Mayor no more of not keeping the citizens safe. The firefighters at this fire had to have been exhausted as their were not enough of them to give some a break, yet they stayed and worked hard. They were doing what they love most and the Mayor says Thank-you by cutting out more firefighters and how many more Police will be let go? How many more have to die before this City takes off their blindfolds? I love and I Thank all of the Firefighters and Police officers who come to work every day knowing because of the lay-offs it could be their last day. BRING BACK ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS, OPEN UP THE CLOSED FIRE HOUSES AND BRING IN MORE POLICE TO PROTECT THESE, OUR CITIZENS THAT PAY THE MAYOR' WAGES! Bring Ann Arbor back to a place to be proud to live in again. The people who stand up do not have to listen to the Morons who say "if you don't like it here, then leave". These are the transplants from other areas that do not have roots here. If the ones who did not care about Ann Arbor and what is going on would not have taken the time the to write comments and let the truth be known left, then watch how much worse Ann Arbor would be.
BornNRaised
Mon, Sep 7, 2009 : 8:01 a.m.
I agree about what "timackk" said. Called 911 for my father-in-law. Fire department showed up long before the ambulance drivers did. They were clean cut and took EXCELLENT care of him. Once the so called paramedics showed up, they spoke to him like he was a child. So bad, he wanted them to leave and have us take him to the ER. I asked the FD why and they said because the FD WANTS to take over the medical care, the city won't let them. Sad really. Ann Arbor News, why don't you do a story on why the city is gunning for the fire department? They save a ton of money with the PD early outs. Maybe take some of the millions away from the city hall art budget and spend it on more appropriate places!
tlmackk
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 11:31 p.m.
My advice, is for people of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County as a whole, to support their fire departments at any cost! It would benefit you, to investment in their dedication. It is a worthwhile investment. Fire service, EMS, Advanced life support (Paramedic services). I worked in the private ambulance industry for 30 years and have come to the conclusion that it would serve you well, much more than well, to ask your Firemen and women to serve you in that capacity. They literaly risk their lives on a daily basis to serve you! In my experienced opinion, there are no other options!
bunnyabbot
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 11:08 p.m.
Thing about fires is they can easily be doused by one responding truck or need all of the trucks to come. Seems fires are either baby fires or monster fires. (and any baby fire can become a monster fire) just does not make any sense at all that a city would cut EMERGENCY SERVICES. Especially Ann Arbor. Our FD covers A2 plus the U. With all this downtown developement (*insert rolling eyes in head) you would think they would keep the FD manned to at more than just enough to squeek by. Additionally, this house needed a whole bunch of firefighters. Gee, glad there wasn't another fire at the same time that needed to be put out within the city. I wonder what the reponse time was on the house fire? as to someone elses call for a PO to show up. When the news came out that all these officers were taking early retirements (and there were some wonderful officers that took that!) the AAPD Chief said there would be no change in response time. YEAH RIGHT! I too can say the police time is lagging now. A situation can easily esscalate and will while waiting for a cop to show up.
clara
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 3:29 p.m.
Just a reminder, it is FIREFIGHTER, not fireman. A Fireman stokes the engine on a train with coal.
Fred&Barney
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 11:38 a.m.
"So you have 26-28 on one shift at a time." Not accurate - with leave time,injury,vacation, and so on, you have around 18 on per day. About half as many as other similar sized university towns. The city could care less.
BornNRaised
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 10:50 a.m.
I need to clarify my last post. The city has 84 TOTAL fire fighters. That's divided between 3 "shifts". So you have 26-28 on one shift at a time. AACity12: Well, the story says, "Several off-duty firefighters had to be called back to help at the scene." Figure most don't actually live in the city, so by the time they get the call, get ready to come in, drive, change into their stuff they wear and get to the scene. Yeah, I'd rather have them working already than use the city attitude of roll the dice and gamble that it won't happen. Around two weeks ago I needed an officer to come take a report. When I was talking with him, he appologized for the length of time to get to me and that there were only 3 road officers on duty that night. It was a Saturday night! Good job Mayor and the idiot city supervisor we have. Let's HOPE we don't have any crime. Let's HOPE we don't have a fire. Ask the people who were burned out of their homes what they think of that theory now.
emu2009
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 9:21 a.m.
Barks74 and genericreg, I think when this became an online "news" source all copy editing jobs must have been eliminated. They are so quick to put their stories online that they must be editing themselves. It's a shame really, I only come on here to see the mistakes now. I get my news from other sources now.
BornNRaised
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 9:10 a.m.
The City has around 84 actual firefighters. These are the people that actually put out the fires, cut people out of cars, and respond to medical 911 calls. The city, who claims they don't have any money, is looking to cut 14 of these fire fighters. "...stretched crews thin." And now the city wants to cut them even deeper. Think about it. When way more police officers took the early buy outs, they opted to keep all the civilian meter maids, but still cut firemen. Good to know the city is so concerend with maintaining "SAFETY SERVICES" in the city.
AACity12
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 9:06 a.m.
I wonder if they could have done more to save the house with the appropriate amount of firefighters on duty. I also wonder what the outcome would be with the pruposed cuts of 14 more firefighters.
barks74
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 4:44 a.m.
Once again great journalism from those folks at ann arbor.com
Paul Taylor
Sun, Sep 6, 2009 : 2:20 a.m.
Tuscan Creek Apartments, for those who want specifics.