Thousands of gallons of water required to simmer massive Green Oak Township fire
GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A major fire in Green Oak Township Saturday night resulted in a multi-agency response.
The fire unfolded at an industrial business that specializes in making foam for packaging materials.
According to Green Oak's Fire Chief Kevin Gentry, the fire was reported around 8:30 p.m. Saturday at a business along Emerson Drive.
A machine reportedly caught fire inside the business, prompting all 25 employees to evacuate.
Once on scene, rescue teams found a well-involved fire with smoke bellowing through the roof. Authorities say the manufacturing area sustained the most damage.
Fire officials say the business also contained highly flammable chemicals like cyanide, but all chemicals were contained in the building, and there is no hazard to the community.
According to Gentry, the fire was one of the largest in the area's history.
Gentry said that due to a lack of access to municipal water in industrial areas, first responders relied on neighboring agencies to help bring water in via tanks.
"This was the largest fire in several years. It went to a three-alarm plus, which is an unusually large fire, but part of that was because of the need to shuttle so much water. We were flowing three different ladder streams at the same time, and that was probably around 4,000 to 5,000 gallons in minutes," Gentry said
Agencies in Livingston, Oakland and Washtenaw counties assisted. One firefighter did receive a minor injury but is expected to recover.
An investigation is ongoing, but it is believed that the fire was an accident and related to a manufacturing process.