Grease fire in Buchanan leaves dozens homeless

BUCHANAN, Mich.-- A grease fire burned through the Parkside Apartment Complex just before 7 p.m. Wednesday. Because of the fire, 35 people are displaced.

The Red Cross is opening a shelter at Buchanan High School for the displaced residents.

Fire crews said they will be busy putting out hotspots for most of the night.

William Marx said, “We got a challenge now, the backside or westside of the building burnt pretty severely and we got a dangerous wall we are trying to figure out how to take it down safely but that’s about all our challenges are right now.”

The grease fire started just before 7 p.m. in apartment 12.

Maintenance workers and passerbys started an evacuation moments after the fire started and everyone got out safely.

Marx said, “Right now we have displaced about 35 residents. There were no injuries.”

Eight fire departments responded to the fire, and the thick smoke could be seen from miles away.

The firefighters were breaking windows so they could spray more water into the sixteen apartments.

EMS was on scene checking the firefighter's vitals constantly.

Marx said, “The local ambulance is on scene refreshing the fireman and checking their vitals, making sure they’re all good."

Marx said the apartment complex has insurance.