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Fire destroys one building, damages another in Sturgis Township

Posted at 6:45 PM, Sep 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-18 18:45:33-04

STURGIS TOWNSHIP, Mich.  —  The Tri-Township Fire Department chief says it’s unknown, so far, what sparked an early-morning fire Tuesday that destroyed one commerical building, and significantly damaged another.

The location was 70528 M-66, also known as Centreville Road. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. inside Sturgis Towing & Recovery. Among other things, the company crushes vehicles that are brought to it wrecked so they can be recovered for recycling purposes.

Tri-Township Fire Chief Max Kulpinski tells FOX 17 that the owner of the business “said he saw flames on the floor where he was standing, the fire spread to a car, then it spread from the car to the building.”

Before the fire could be put it out, it had gutted much of the building, and also caused smoke and water damage to an attached building, Nissley Disposal. Some tools inside Sturgis Towing were salvageable, says Kulpinski.

The fire chief says insurance investigators have been on the scene, and it’s possible gasoline vapors may’ve sparked the fire, but it’s also possible “we may never know what started it.”

No injuries were reported.