A man was found dead on the first floor of a burning house at 276 E.Michigan Avenue Monday night, and a firefighter injured his back in the effort to put out the fire.
Firefighters were called to the blaze at 276 E. Michigan Ave. shortly before 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 and arrived to find heavy fire on the first and second floors of the three story multifamily dwelling, according to a news release from the city of Battle Creek.
It was unclear whether the house was occupied at the time of the fire, authorities said.
The fire spread out in many void spaces and overhaul was "long and tedious," authorities said, with extension to the attic and outside.
Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire and quickly extinguished the main areas,and crews came upon the victim on the first floor.
The three-story wood frame house sustained damages estimated at about $20,000, authorities said.
Both the cause of the fire and the cause of the man's death are currently under investigation by the Battle Creek Fire Department Fire Marshal's Office.