Photo by Bob Guiliani
By Pat Maurer
Correspondent
A Gateway Village Apartments resident was injured last Saturday when a fire started in her apartment on the third floor of the High Rise., located at 235 Gateway Village Drive.
The Clare Fire Department was called to the scene by the report of a fire alarm going off at 7:12 p.m., Clare Chief Jim Chapman reported. “It began with a chair burning in the living room that spread igniting some other contents of the apartment.”
Firefighters quickly doused the flames with a “water can extinguisher,” Chapman said, “but the apartment sustained heavy smoke damage and minor fire damage. He said firefighters and emergency personnel were on the scene for about an hour and a half.
The other residents of the building were evacuated safely, thanks to the help of police, emergency personnel and firemen. “I have to applaud the building residents who followed the evacuation plans and helped to get everyone out, assisting other residents to reach a safe location.” Chapman said. “We were lucky. It could have been much more serious.”
The sole resident of the apartment, who was not named, was evacuated, moved down to the lobby, then taken to the hospital by Mobile Medical Response ambulance with smoke inhalation and burns to her leg. She was transferred to Hurley Medical Center in Flint. Chief Chapman said Wednesday that according to a family member, she was recovering and would be released soon.
The chief said he believed that all of the other residents were able to return to their apartments after the fire.
Clare firefighters were assisted at the scene by Clare Police, the Clare County Sheriff’s Office personnel, the Michigan State Police from Mt. Pleasant, Surrey Township Fire Department and Mobile Medical Response Ambulance Service.
The fire is under investigation, Chapman said.