Firefighters battled a fire in what Marine City Fire Authority Assistant David Vandenbossche described as brutal sub-freezing weather early Friday in Marine City.
"It was brutal, it was a brutal fire," he said., "We had a fabulous response from the DPW. They kept coming up here and salting over and over. The footing was terrible."
Firefighters from six departments had the fire extinguished by about 7 a.m. Friday. Vandenbossche, who is the city's mayor, said it was reported at 2:09 a.m.
He said buildings housing Newport Clippers, 223 Broadway, and Vera Grace Emporium, 229 Broadway, were complete losses.
Firefighters have not determined a cause but believe it started in one of the outer walls of the buildings. A narrow alleyway separates the buildings.