Equipment Fire Atop Shopping Center Squelched
Equipment Fire Atop Shopping Center Squelched
By Andrew Gorosko
While on patrol about 1:11 am Tuesday, a police officer noticed flames shooting from the roof of the Cork N Barrel package store at Plaza South at 266 South Main Street, after which firefighters were alerted of the blaze, said Botsford Fire Rescue Chief Wayne Ciaccia.
All five local volunteer fire companies were mobilized for the call to the new shopping center, which lies just north of the intersection of South Main Street and Cold Spring Road.
âWe got there fast, â said Chief Ciaccia, noting the Botsford firehouseâs proximity to the site.
 Firefighters placed a ladder against the side of the building and climbed up it carrying a fire hose, after which they found that a heating-cooling-ventilation unit positioned on the roof atop the package store had malfunctioned and caught fire, officials said.
The fire was limited to the mechanical equipment, Chief Ciaccia said. Firefighters shut off the natural gas fuel supply to limit the problem, he said. They used water to extinguish the blaze.
About 25 firefighters responded to the scene. There were no injuries.
The rubberized roof on the commercial building was covered with snow, Chief Ciaccia noted, adding that the presence of the snow likely kept the fire from spreading to the building.
Fire Marshal Bill Halstead estimated that the equipment fire caused about $10,000 in damage.