A ferocious fire engulfed a Warren strip mall yesterday evening, leading to the collapse of the structure and causing traffic snarls along Groesbeck Highway, said fire officials. According to The Detroit News, the blaze was reported around 7 p.m. at Frazho Plaza, situated between 10 Mile and 11 Mile roads. Warren Fire Commissioner Skip McAdams indicated that nine of the mall's units, hosting various small businesses such as barbershops and salons, were affected.
Firefighters faced an uphill battle against the flames exacerbated by 30 mph wind conditions, making their efforts to suppress the inferno increasingly complex. According to FOX 2 Detroit, McAdams explained the lack of fire stops in the building's attic permitted the fire to move rapidly, aided by the gusts of wind. “This structure faces west. And once (the fire) hit the roof, it took off," McAdams said.
No injuries were reported, despite two businesses being open at the onset of the fire. McAdams informed Macomb Daily that the fire crews, initially met with heavy smoke, had to take a defensive approach when the building began to collapse after the fire was exposed to oxygen. It is currently believed that no criminal intent was involved with the start of the fire. "We contacted a board-up company to begin working on part of the building and the police will remain on the scene to maintain custody," McAdams stated.
The preliminary investigation commenced Wednesday, with efforts to determine the fire's cause and the structural integrity of the building, according to The Detroit News. The blaze spread through a common attic, claiming the entirety of the 24,000-square-foot building. "As we made entry, the fire breached the roof and took out the structure," McAdams told The Detroit News.
Warren's fire response was bolstered by assistance from the fire departments of Center Line, Detroit Arsenal, Eastpointe, Roseville, and Sterling Heights, according to information provided by McAdams to Macomb Daily. Groesbeck Highway was subsequently reopened to the public around 9 p.m. last night after the flames were controlled. Meanwhile, local businesses such as Country's Barber Godz, Changing Faces Beauty Salon, and American Motorsports Shop are among those that felt the devastation, with the building to be boarded up and secured while investigations are ongoing.
