3-Alarm Fire Burns Portion Of Chesterfield Township Nursery
CHESTERFIELD TWP. (WWJ) - Thick black smoke could be seen for miles as a three-alarm fire broke out at a nursery on 23 Mile in Chesterfield Township on Friday.
It took crews from around eight neighboring communities and the Selfridge Air National Guard Base to control the fire Friday afternoon at VanThommes Greenhouse near I-94 and Sass Road.
The fire destroyed a storage barn at the back of the property, while the front part of the building appeared to be in tact. Information about the extent of the damage has not yet been released.
Authorities were concerned about flammable chemicals -- such as fertilizers -- inside the facility. No evacuations were ordered in the area.
Just before 5 p.m., WWJ's Joel Alexander described the scene from the air in Chopper 950.
"At least a dozen pieces of firefighting equipment...hoses are extended, and there's still smoke pouring out of a portion of this building that has totally burned to the ground...the roof collapsed," Alexander said.
Traffic was blocked in both directions along 23 Mile Road. no injuries have been reported.
The nursery has been a fixture in Chesterfield Township since 1963.
