Man rescued from burning bed in Antwerp Township home

Fire crews rescued a man from his burning bed in his Antwerp Township home early Tuesday morning. The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office (VBCSO) said around 2:30 a.m. a man called 911 and said his bed was on fire but he couldn't get out of it and into his wheelchair. Crews were sent to his home in the 50000 block of 29 1/2 Street, deputies said. VBCSO said a Van Buren County sergeant was the first to arrive at the scene and had to kick in the man's door to get into the house. The home was filled with smoke but he was able to get to the back of it where the man was still in his smoldering bed. The sergeant carried him through the home and out the entrance, VBCSO said. Shortly after they made it out of the home, deputies said it became fully engulfed in flames. The man had burns on his legs and feet and suffered from smoke inhalation.
WZZM-TV ABC 13 Grand Rapids

Mackinac Island employee dormitory evacuated after e-bike fire

An employee dormitory on Mackinac Island was evacuated Wednesday night after an e-bike caught on fire. The Mackinac Island Fire Department received a report at 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday of a fire at a building known as The Twilight, located at 1391 Hoban Street. "Before the first unit went en route, members of MI EMS radioed in they could see smoke coming from the building. As units made the scene, residents reported it was an E-Bike Battery burning in a second floor room. Arriving units stretched a line to the back stairs, forced a door and moved in on the fire which had also activated the sprinklers," Fire Chief Jason St. Onge said in a statement. Onge said that one resident of The Twilight was transferred to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital for smoke inhalation.
WPBN-TV NBC 7 Traverse City

Genesee County Commissioners approve $3 surcharge for 911 services to be added to ballot

The Genesee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to add a $3, 911 surcharge to the ballot on August. The charge would be added to your phone bill if it passed by voters. "Now the real work begins and we're looking forward to it. We were confident that the citizens of our county will support $1.14 extra per month on their device to save their life," says Flushing Mayor Joseph Karlichek, who is also on the Genesee County 911 Consortium Board. The consortium has been asking for this to be added to the ballot during commissioners' meetings the last several months. "This funding that we're asking our citizens to vote for on August 6, we'll keep the lights on keep the doors open, keep our employees at 911 paid, maintain your benefits. And in most of all, make sure that anybody who needs EMS, fire police, they're going to get it," says Karlichek.
WEYI-TV NBC 25 Saginaw

Annual airport firefighter training held at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City

VIDEO: Things got a little fired up May 8th over at the airport. It was annual training for firefighters in case of aircraft related emergencies. Members from the Traverse City and Pro-Tec Fire Departments, and even Manistee Department were on the airport grounds for training. ARFF Specialists Owner and Instructor Louis Kurtz is a former airport firefighter with over 25 years of experience and brings in this structure closely resembling a real airplane in order to make sure the training is as authentic as possible. “The frequency of these events are very low,” says Kurtz “However, the impact is extremely high and you’re dealing with essentially a giant aircraft moving with thousands of gallons of fuel and 1 to 200 occupants with souls on board there. Giving these firefighters the muscle memory and the aides to be able to act without thinking is vitally important when seconds come to the plane.”
WWTV CBS 9 Cadillac

Barn fire in Coopersville sets hundreds of cows loose

A barn fire in Coopersville sent animals fleeing and pulled in help from everyone in the area Wednesday night. The Coopersville/Polkton Area Fire and Rescue Department were leading the scene along 56th Avenue, south of Roosevelt St., with Ottawa County Sheriff's Office assisting. At first, Fox 17 was told there were about 500 cows loose and/or in danger, but Ottawa County Deputies updated us around 3:30 a.m. saying many were rescued and rounded up by first responders, employees, and people in the area who'd stop to help. Five other fire departments responded; Wright/Tallmadge, Allendale, Ravenna, Moorland, and Chester Fire Departments, along with LIFE EMS. No injuries have been reported. Emergency crews were investigating the possibility of gas tanks inside the barn, but the cause has not been made public.
WXMI-TV FOX 17 Grand Rapids

Follow Up: As first responders go through Portage neighborhood ripped apart by tornado they find a woman in labor

First responders put their lives on the line Tuesday evening as multiple tornadoes gutted through Southwest Michigan. One of those tornadoes was confirmed in Portage. It ripped through neighborhoods and tore through homes. William Graham, City of Portage Deputy Fire Marshal, confirmed that people from over 40 homes were displaced after the devastating storms, including a pregnant Portage woman who went into labor amid all the chaos. “We had 47 people walk out back to Shirring Road and take buses that are going to take them to shelters," said Graham. The City of Portage received some of the worst effects of the severe weather that hit Southwest Michigan Tuesday evening. Homes were completely destroyed, and cars were totaled. Police and firefighters were the first on the scene as the community began taking in the aftermath.
WZZM-TV ABC 13 Grand Rapids