Man found unconscious in Warren condo fire dies at hospital; cause under investigation

Investigations are underway following a fire at a Warren condo on Saturday. Fire crews were called out to the Bear Creek Condominiums on Willow Court — in the area of Van Dyke and Chicago Road — around 1:30 p.m. Saturday after a 911 caller reported seeing smoke coming from two condos and hearing smoke alarms. When Warren fire crews arrived minutes later they found light smoke coming from both condos and made entry. Firefighters found a man unconscious sitting in a chair in the living room. He was taken outside to the lawn area and CPR was administered. The man was rushed to Ascension Macomb Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Fire investigators do not believe the fire was suspicious and arson is not suspected, officials said in a Saturday press release.
WWJ-AM 950 Detroit

Off-duty firefighter saves man’s life after motorcycle crash in Chesterfield Township

PHOTOS: An off-duty firefighter was at the right place at the right time when she noticed a man crash his motorcycle in Chesterfield Township Tuesday and performed CPR until help arrived. Fifty-six-year-old Jeffrey Collins was taking out his new motorcycle for the first time this season Tuesday afternoon. Around 3:30 p.m., he had made it just minutes from his home when he crashed on I-94 near New Haven Road. The Chesterfield Township Public Safety Department says the cause is still under investigation and no other vehicles were involved. Jeffrey Collins laid lifeless after he crossed the median, but right behind him was an off-duty Rochester firefighter who just so happened to be in the area. Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Romano has only been with the Rochester Fire Department for eight months. Last Tuesday, her years of training kicked in.
WXMI-TV FOX 17 Grand Rapids

Lightning may have caused fire which destroyed Bronson home

PHOTO: Bronson Fire Chief Scott Wilber says lightning may have been the cause of a fire early Sunday morning that destroyed a house and the contents inside at 241 Hyska Road. Wilber reports Branch County Central Dispatch notified the Bronson Fire Department of the fire just before 2:30 a.m.. Fire crews arrived to find a two story farmhouse fully engulfed in flames and 50 percent on the ground. According to Wilber, the fire had been burning for a considerable amount of time before it was discovered by a passerby. The Bronson Fire Department used about 20,000 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze. No one was home at the time of the fire. Bronson Firefighters were on the scene for three hours. There were no injuries.
WTVB-AM 1590 Coldwater

Flint ambulance service returning after 20 years

VIDEO: For the first time in 20 years the city of Flint is bringing back a dedicated ambulance service for its residents. Flint’s fire chief said many times in a medical emergency, there are no ambulances available in Flint and when the county is in what they call a “crisis situation,” it means there’s no ambulances available in Genesee County at all. The city said they hope to fix this life-altering issue with a new fleet dedicated just to the city and its residents. “When you call the fire department, it’s gonna come,” said Fire Chief Theron Wiggins with the Flint Fire Department. For the first time in two decades, Flint’s very own ambulance is ready to answer the call for help. “I made it a priority because I know this is a priority to everyone who dials 911 that’s in trauma,” said Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley.
WNEM-TV CBS/MyNetworkTV 5 Saginaw

’Rest easy on your rock, Gail’: A bell to remember her by at the Overisel Township Fire Department

VIDEO/PHOTOS: As a rainstorm rolled over the Overisel Township Fire Department, a family with firefighting in their bones shared stories about their late mother and sister, Gail VanAuken, killed in the line of duty. “She was the trickster of all of us,” said Carole Chisholm, one of VanAuken’s sisters. “Probably Gail up there, saying, ‘Hey, let’s get this party started,’” said sister MaryJo Damveld, joking about the distant thunder. In the early hours of the morning on November 2, 2000, Gail VanAuken, a 41-year-old teacher’s aide and firefighter with the Overisel Township Fire Department died in a crash while driving to a turkey barn fire. Her husband Rick, also a firefighter, was involved in the crash, too, and survived. “Our lives changed instantly that night we lost her,” said Michelle Green, VanAuken’s daughter. “My mom truly was a hero.”
WXMI-TV FOX 17 Grand Rapids

Woman dead in Muskegon house fire

A 69-year-old woman lost her life in a Thursday morning fire, the Muskegon Fire Department said. Just after 7 a.m., crews got multiple calls that smoke was coming from a home on Getty Street south of Laketon. The first firefighters that arrived were met with flames coming from the home, and they made their way inside to rescue the trapped woman. Deputy Director of Public Safety Jay Paulson said they found her, but before they could get to her, the floor gave way and she went through the floor. Deputy Director Paulson said there was a hoarding situation inside the home, which made it difficult for fire crews to navigate through the home. Muskegon Township, Muskegon Heights, Norton Shores, Fruitport and North Muskegon Fire Departments helped out. No firefighters were hurt.
WZZM-TV ABC 13 Grand Rapids