An early morning blaze destroyed a Southfield landmark, the Plum Hollow Market, which has anchored the community for over 50 years. The fire, which broke out around 1:15 a.m., took several hours to extinguish despite the efforts of multiple firefighting agencies. According to ClickOnDetroit, fire crews managed to quell the flames by approximately 5:30 a.m., and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The market, known for its half-century of service to locals, stood at the corner of 9 Mile and Lahser. Battalion Chief Christopher Smith of the Southfield Fire Department described the engagement with the fire as challenging due to the building's content. "We call the a fire load and absolutely there’s a lot of combustibles in there," Smith said in an interview with WXYZ. No injuries were reported due to the incident, and the surrounding structures incurred minimal water damage.
The fire scale required a significant response, with firefighters initially entering the building to control the blaze. However, they were forced to withdraw and battle the fire from the outside after the flames spread to the roof. "Our crews did everything they could, exhausted all our efforts to be able to try to save this property, save a piece of our community," Smith detailed to FOX 2 Detroit. The Plum Hollow Market, while historically family-owned, had been sold to a new owner outside of the family last July.
