Area Firefighters Quickly Respond to Downtown Apartment Building Fire

IRONWOOD, MI - Monday, December 21, 2009 - Area firefighters were called to the scene of a first story apartment fire on the corner of Ayer and Lowell Streets.

It appears that the source of the fire was an electric stove that was left on in Apartment A of the Pickard Place Apartment Building (Formerly the Coachlight Apartments and prior to that -- the Morgan Manor). According to witnesses on the scene, an emergency call was placed shortly after 4:00 PM and firefighters were on the scene immediately. Apartment A was filled with smoke, and smoke also worked its way through the rest of the building. Interior walls of the complex are at least 1 foot thick concrete, so actual fire damage was primarily contained to the first floor apartment. More information will be posted on the Chronicle as soon as it is released.

According to a press release issued this morning, Tuesday, December 22, 2009, the cause of a fire last night in downtown Ironwood has been determined to have been caused by an unattended cooking incident.

At 4:28 PM, on duty personnel from Beacon Ambulance spotted a fire in a first floor apartment at the Pickard Place Apartments at 101 North Lowell Street.

Eleven Ironwood Public Safety Officers and eight Ironwood Volunteer Firefighters responded and quickly contained the blaze to one apartment. All residents of the twelve-unit complex were able to evacuate the fire without any injuries.

The first floor apartment received considerable fire damage and the remaining eleven apartments received minor smoke and water damage.

As a precautionary measure all residents of the building were placed with relatives and friends for the evening with the assistance of the American Red Cross. The residents are expected to be able to return this morning.

The Ironwood Public Safety Department was assisted at the scene by the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurley Police Department, Beacon Ambulance, Xcel Energy, Gogebic County Victim Services Unit and the American Red Cross.