‘All employees were calmly evacuated’

ROSEVILLE — At press time, an investigation into what caused a fire at a local manufacturing plant continued.

Roseville Fire Chief Keith Jacobs said “it’s way too early” to determine what caused the two-alarm fire April 22 at RCO Engineering Inc., 15711 12 Mile Road. He also said “so far nothing is suspicious” and a final report will not be available for a few weeks.

Roseville; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and RCO’s insurance carrier will conduct the investigation.

Jacobs said the blaze started at 10:17 a.m. Roseville first responders fought the blaze with units from the St. Clair Shores, Eastpointe, Warren, Fraser, Clinton Township and Mount Clemens fire departments. The last fire emergency vehicle left the scene at 9:10 p.m. RCO is located near Calahan Road, between Groesbeck Highway and Hayes Road.

“All employees were calmly evacuated,” Jacobs said. “Nobody was hurt. All the surrounding businesses were evacuated.”

Police blocked off traffic at three spots — 12 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway, Martin Road and Groesbeck Highway, and 12 Mile and Hayes  roads — as the fire was contained. Although the fire was brought under control by the early afternoon, crews still worked at putting out hot spots. As firefighters battled the blaze, they dealt with winds “coming out of the west, steady and regular” that “kept smoke close to the ground,” Jacobs said.

The size of the building is 20,000 square feet, and the fire caused the roof to basically collapse onto the ground.

“It pancaked down onto itself, which is normal for any kind of major fire like that,” Jacobs said. “We have to get the roof off the floor and remove the debris before we can get to (the cause). Everything under the roof is still smoldering.”

There were concerns about air quality because the area is considered a 302 site, which identifies facilities that handle hazardous substances. The Roseville Fire Department and the EPA did air quality testing during and after the event.

“We had to do extra things for the safety of the public because of the 302 site,” Jacobs said. “We had to be very careful; that’s a very busy area. No chemicals as far as we know caught on fire. Everything we tested came back normal.”

All proper authorities were notified of possible chemical runoff, which was mitigated, according to a press release that Jacobs issued April 25. The press release also stated that the investigation will look into whether or not there was an explosion.

“There is no danger to the surrounding community at this time,” Jacobs said in the press release. “Westbound 12 Mile Road in front of the incident location may be periodically closed due to the investigation and safety of crews on the scene.”

Jacobs added that in the past during regular inspections, “RCO is a very easy company to work with.”   

The press release stated there were no fatalities from the incident, but one Roseville police officer went to the emergency room that night for evaluation due to smoke and was released without any issues.

Several other organizations assisted with the fire, including the Roseville Police Department and Department of Public Works; SERESA Dispatch Center; Macomb County Emergency Management; and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

At about 2:15 p.m. last Tuesday, RCO Engineering Inc., posted a message on the company’s Facebook page letting the public know that the fire was fully contained and no injuries were reported. The company has 13 facilities, and the fire was reported at one building. The company’s website states RCO Engineering Inc. is an automotive seat manufacturer that supports the development of seating programs for the automotive, aerospace and defense industries.

According to the message, the fire was quickly addressed by local firefighters and emergency responders “to whom we extend our sincere thanks and appreciation. Their swift action ensured the fire was 100% contained and prevented any further risk to our team or facilities.”

The Facebook post also stated the company wants “to reassure our partners and stakeholders that there is no impact to the rest of the RCO Engineering business operations or to our customers. RCO Engineering remains operational, and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and service.”

Because of air quality concerns, the South Campus of Macomb Community College went into a shelter-in-place status in the early afternoon until about 2:30 p.m. During a shelter-in-place, it’s recommended that people stay inside and close and lock all the windows and doors.

Fountain and Steenland Elementary Schools and Roseville Middle School in the Roseville Community Schools district also sheltered in place during the fire. According to a district spokesperson, the students had indoor recess and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning units were turned off as extra precautions. The shelter-in-place was lifted at 1:30 p.m.

On Thursday, traffic in the area was closed off again because the fire had rekindled.