A fatal fire at a home Sunday, Jan. 3, in Battle Creek has nothing to do with a homicide investigation involving a woman last seen at the home in June, authorities say.
Battle Creek spokesperson Jessica Vanderkolk confirmed in an email Monday, Jan. 4, that the home at 266 Oneita Street — which fire crews responded to Sunday morning — was the same house where Amber Griffin had been on the last night she was seen, on June 22. Vanderkolk said no information is available for release at this time about the person who died in the fire. The victim was one of two tenants inside the home Sunday morning, but the other tenant was able to get out safely, the fire department said in a release Sunday.
Vanderkolk said Battle Creek Police processed the home multiple times, and have no reason to believe the fire is related to Griffin’s case.
A preliminary investigation of the fire by both the city’s fire and police departments, she said, shows the fire was accidental by nature. The victim who was killed was not affiliated with the Griffin case, city officials said.