WALKER, Mich. — Fire investigators are working to determine what started a fire at Green Ridge Apartments Monday afternoon.
Despite salvaging half the building, residents of 30 apartments were pushed out of their homes until the safety of the remaining structure can be assessed.
"The electrical is shut off for the whole building and the gas shut off to the whole building, which is why no one's living there right now." Walker Fire Department Chief, David Pelton, tells us.
The flames damaged at least 3 apartments, but the bulk of the fire made its way to the attic, where it took down half the roof.
The water it took to put it out damaged 12 more apartments.
A combination of forces kept the flames from claiming the entire building, despite a strong wind blowing the fire through the attic and the fire overcoming the suppression system.
"Typically you burn the whole roof off those kinds of buildings," says Pelton. "We were able to save half the roof and most of the apartments."
Quick calls to 911, on-call personnel, plus help from Plainfield and Grand Rapids— and the use of drones— made sure firefighters were not only able to fight the fire safely but get residents of all sorts out.
"We're able to get healthy pets out of the apartment. So it was a good, good day," says Pelton. "[Having] an aerial view was critical to putting needed resources where they had to be and to stop that fire in its tracks."
Chief Pelton tells FOX 17 that the bulk of the work was putting out hot spots after the roof collapsed. The investigation into the cause and any determination on when— or if— those residents will be able to return home started today.
