Fire at apartment complex leads to home displacement for some residents

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Although some residents of Bloomfield On The Green were recently able to return home after a fire started at the apartment complex March 17, others remain displaced.

The fire required crews from all six West Bloomfield fire stations to extinguish the blaze and caused many residents to be displaced from their homes.

“I am pleased to report that several of the residents … have been able to return to their home(s),” West Bloomfield Fire Department Chief Gregory Flynn said.

The fire started at the apartment complex before 5 p.m.  A neighbor noticed smoke coming from one of the buildings and contacted management.

“The residents of 12 units were forced to leave their homes,” Byron Turnquist, deputy marshal of the West Bloomfield Fire Department said.

According to Turnquist, the fire started in the attic and spread to one of the adjacent buildings.

“We were able to stop it before it got too bad in the second building,” Turnquist said. “There were no injuries as a result of this fire —  just the unfortunate fact that people are removed from their homes until repairs can be made.”

The fire is still under investigation, with the cause of it yet to be determined, according to Turnquist.

Although extensive repairs are needed, the damage cannot be seen from the outside of the building.

“The damage is in the attic, and there’s a lot of damage to the electrical systems that are running through the walls in the area of the fire,” Turnquist said.

According to Turnquist, the apartment complex is working with residents to help them find temporary housing, although he is not aware of where things are at in the process.

According to a representative, Bloomfield On The Green cannot provide information about the fire.

The displaced residents were provided with Red Cross information, according to Turnquist.

“There was a working smoking alarm within the apartment,” Flynn said. “However, we always encourage multiple smoke alarms because of the location of the fire. This fire was above the smoke alarm (in the attic). That can always delay (the alarm), so having multiple alarms on all levels of your home is very important.”

Both Flynn and Turnquist recommend having working smoke alarms for each level of a home, in hallways and in every bedroom.

“That provides an early warning in the event of a fire, to give you as much time as possible to safely exit your home,” Turnquist said.

He also suggests having at least two exits out of a building, your bedroom, or anywhere you go. According to Turnquist, that could be through a door or getting help through a window.

“My wife laughs at me because (when) we go into a restaurant, I know where the exits are,” Turnquist said.

According to Turnquist, firefighters are “always looking for different egress points, in case the door you came in is blocked and you can’t get out.”