A three-story blaze ripped through the Reed Manor public-housing complex in Jackson on Thursday, killing a 61-year-old resident and driving roughly 69 families out into the cold. Fire crews pulled about 15 people from third-floor windows and took four residents, along with one firefighter, to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital for treatment. As the smoke cleared, neighbors, churches, and local relief groups quickly launched donation drives and set up temporary shelter for everyone who suddenly had nowhere to sleep.
City records list Reed Manor at 301 Steward Avenue, according to the City of Jackson. The complex is part of the city’s public-housing portfolio and is home to dozens of low-income tenants across multiple floors. Local housing advocates say the immediate scramble is all about getting people under a safe roof tonight, then figuring out longer-term assistance as families make sense of what comes next.
What happened
The fire was reported around 9 p.m., and when the Jackson Fire Department arrived, crews found heavy black smoke and active flames pouring from the third floor, according to MLive. Firefighters pulled roughly 15 residents from third-floor windows while battling the blaze, and four residents, plus one firefighter, were taken to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital for treatment.
Jackson police later identified the victim as 61-year-old Sherry Lower. The fire left about 69 families without homes, and investigators have not yet released a cause. For now, officials and residents are focused less on the why and more on the urgent question of where people will stay tonight and in the weeks ahead.
How to help
Volunteers are collecting hygiene and paper products, moving and cleaning supplies, first-aid and pet supplies, household basics, and bus passes for displaced residents, according to MLive. Reed Manor’s community center will accept donations today from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 301 Steward Ave.
The United Way of South Central Michigan has also opened a disaster relief fund and will take donations from noon to 4 p.m. March 14 to 19 and 9 a.m. to noon on March 20 at 536 N. Jackson St. Standing outside the damaged complex, resident Betsy Snyder summed up the crisis plainly for reporters, per MLive: “We don't have any place to go,” a reminder that these are not abstract needs, they are about tonight’s meals and tomorrow’s rent.
Relief and next steps
St. John’s United Church of Christ quickly opened its doors after the fire and took in about 40 people on cots. Local nonprofits are now working to move residents into hotels and other temporary housing while officials assess which units at Reed Manor, if any, can be salvaged.
Organizers say the most urgent needs are cash for short-term housing and gift cards or bus passes so displaced residents can get to work, appointments, and services. They are urging donors to stick to the published item lists and drop-off times to keep an already-chaotic operation manageable and to make sure help gets where it is needed fastest.
