By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Fire hoses froze while the sound of cracking coats became a repeated noise as firefighters broke ice from their gear during a fire that damaged 12 units in one of Orion’s oldest apartment complexes.
All four Orion fire stations were dispatched to the 3300 block of Beech Drive at about 9 p.m. on Feb. 17, for fire in the walls of an apartment building at Sycamore Creek. Arriving crews were met with tenants abandoning their apartments and smoke coming from the second floor of the middle unit.
‘Our immediate concerns were getting all of the other tenants out,? Fire Chief Robert Smith said. ‘On this particular night, with freezing conditions and snow, we began finding a place to shelter them immediately.?
The first arriving firefighters made a fast attack on the apartment where the fire began, which Smith credits as a distinct reason why the outcomes weren’t as severe as they could have been. The fire traveled from the second floor, through the third, and began burning through the attic space. Once the main part of the fire was extinguished, it took firefighters another hour and half to finish extinguishing hot spots and embers trapped in voids.
‘This complex was built in the mid 1970s and a lot of times when a fire gets buried in the walls and chimney chase, as this one had, the outcome is not usually this good,? he said.
In addition to evacuating tenants and extinguishing the fire, firefighters were also up against another enemy ? Mother Nature. The National Weather Service recorded low temperatures of minus two degrees and winds at 20 mph; bringing wind chill temperatures down to minus 22 degrees.
Assistant Chief John Pender, was not only in charge of the tactics chosen to put out the fire, but dealt with the freezing elements that were hindering the scene.
‘The entire ground was covered in ice,? Pender said. ‘The hoses, stair ways and equipment were freezing, making operations difficult. ‘We had many slip and falls so we had to dedicate firefighters to salting the ground for safety.?
Due to the size of the 47 unit building, Smith said, there was a decision to position the department’s 1974 ladder truck to the front of the lines in case fire conditions worsened.
As a precaution, Auburn Hills Fire Department responded to the scene with a ladder truck and was positioned on the opposite side.
The American Red Cross was also called to aid in sheltering and feeding the displaced occupants.
In addition to Auburn Hills, Smith credits the assisting actions of Oakland County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Star EMS during the incident.
Star EMS tended to an injured firefighter after a fall, while deputies provided crowd control and rescued some animals.
The sheriff’s department arson investigators were working with private insurance investigators to determine a cause of the fire.
Oakland County fire investigator Art Schrah found evidence the fire originated in the second floor ceiling area but the origin is still undetermined. However, investigators believe it is likely an electrical fire.
‘We found damage to some electrical components in a confined space,? Schrah said. ‘The fire ran up the pipe chase and into the attic space.?
Apartment officials told OCSD fire investigators that the complex had been struck by lightning 15 years ago but it is unclear if that played a role in the fire. Only one injury was reported and fire officials and investigators are still determining the damage amount.
The fire on Beech Drive comes a day after the department responded to a reported fire in a basement on Hickory Drive. That fire was caused by a shorted electrical outlet and produced a small amount of charring but did fill the basement with smoke. Since the start of the year the department has responded to 304 calls for service.