Sterling Heights

Double fires make hectic morning for SHFD

By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer

Excessive heat and unfortunate timing led to the Sterling Heights Fire Department declaring a second alarm fire July 17 — the first in 15 years, according to interim Fire Chief Chris Martin.

Martin said SHFD crews were fighting a house fire near 15 Mile and Schoenherr when reports came in of a fire at Sodecia, an auto parts producer on Merrill, near Mound.

With half of Sterling Heights’ firefighters occupied at the first scene, Martin said, the SHFD had to rely on assistance from the Warren, Utica, Shelby Township and Clinton Township fire departments at Sodecia, while personnel from Utica, Fraser and Macomb Township staffed the SHFD’s stations.

The number of alarms determines the level of mutual aid response from other departments.

The triple-digit exterior temperatures — Martin said it reached 102 degrees in Sterling Heights — forced firefighters to rotate positions earlier than usual, he added.

Martin said the house fire call came in at around 10:30 a.m., though it appeared it had been burning for a while. The residents weren’t home, but road workers were nearby, performing concrete work.

“They saw smoke coming out of the house and called us,” he said.

The cause of the fire, which started in the basement, appears to be electrical, and no one was injured, he said.

The Sodecia fire, called in just after 11 a.m., began in the filtration system and extended through the building’s ductwork, said Martin.

“The whole building was filled with smoke,” he said.

Dispatchers fielded multiple calls reporting the situation; in some, people were screaming in the background, he said.

Martin estimated there were at least 100 people inside Sodecia when the fire started, but no one was injured. The facility was evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze and searched the building.

A hazardous material vehicle was on scene as part of usual protocol, and firefighters conducted some air monitoring, but “it wasn’t a true haz mat incident,” he added.

According to Martin, this isn’t the first filtration system incident at Sodecia.

“We’ve had several fires of the same exact kind at this location in the past,” he said.

Martin also noted that the SHFD had fewer firefighters on duty due to layoffs that went into effect July 1, which reduced engine crews from four men to three.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Cortney Casey at ccasey@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1046.