WALKER, Mich. — A 75-year-old man died after a duplex fire Wednesday evening in Walker, according to police.
Walker police and fire crews responded shortly before 5 p.m. Aug. 12 to a duplex on Gaynor Avenue NW, near the Meijer on Alpine, after reports of smoke coming from inside the home.
Officials said first-arriving crews reached the scene in just over four minutes and found heavy smoke billowing from the home. Firefighters began working to extinguish the flames before entering the residence, where they located a man inside.
The victim was identified as John Thiel, 75.
Firefighters and emergency crews provided medical aid at the scene before Thiel was taken to a local hospital. Officials said he later died from complications related to smoke inhalation.
According to the Walker Fire Department, the fire was contained to one side of the duplex. No injuries were reported on the unaffected side of the building, and officials said Thiel was the only person home in the affected residence at the time of the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Walker Fire Department, the Walker Police Department and the Michigan State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Mutual aid agencies assisting at the scene included the Grand Rapids, Alpine and Plainfield fire departments, along with LIFE EMS.
City officials said additional information may be limited because the investigation is ongoing.
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