A double scare hit Kalamazoo Friday night as firefighters battled blazes in two separate residential fires, officials confirmed that both cases ended without injuries. The first emergency call which included a woman's cough and the warning from a smoke detector, was received around 8:30 p.m., leading Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers to a flaming residential property on the 3900 block of Ash Street.
Firefighters faced challenges due to ongoing construction and strong winds, despite these issues, the crew managed to get the fire under control within approximately an hour, with efforts stretching an extra two hours to extinguish lingering hot spots, according to a WZZM13 article.
The second incident reported by WOODTV occurred on the same night near 9:30 p.m. on Grant Street, not long after the Ash Street fire was brought under reasonable control; crews rescued an individual trapped on the second-floor porch of a home ablaze, quickly containing the fire within 20 minutes.
Investigations into the Grant Street fire led to the immediate suspicion of arson, and a Kalamazoo resident has been arrested in connection, MLive stated that KDPS officials quickly determined the fire's origin, leading to an expedited arrest on suspicion of arson. Local authorities are urging anyone with information about either incident to contact the Fire Marshal's Office or to submit anonymous tips through Kalamazoo Silent Observer channels, according to MLive.
