MARINE CITY — Firefighters battled a fire in what Marine City Fire Authority Assistant David Vandenbossche described as brutal sub-freezing weather early Friday in Marine City.
"It was brutal, it was a brutal fire," he said. "We had a fabulous response from the (Department of Public Works). They kept coming up here and salting over and over. The footing was terrible."
Firefighters from six departments had the fire extinguished by about 7 a.m. Friday. Vandenbossche, who is the city's mayor, said it was reported at 2:09 a.m.
He said buildings housing Newport Clippers, 223 Broadway, and Vera Grace Emporium, 229 Broadway, were complete losses.
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Firefighters have not determined a cause but believe it started in one of the outer walls of the buildings. A narrow alleyway separates the buildings.
"It was between them on the outside of one wall or the other," he said.
He described trying to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to adjacent buildings as, "extremely stressful, trying to make a stop."
The strength of the flames also hampered efforts to put out the fire.
"Guys got pushed out of (229 Broadway) three different times," Vandenbossche said.
Roger Campbell lives in an apartment above Newport Clippers.
"I don't know what happened," he said. "We were awakened by the guy next door. His smoke alarm was going off. He was yelling, 'Get out, get out now!'"
Campbell escaped with his wife and dog.
Owners of the Lazy Llama opened their doors so the fire victims would have a warm place to wait. People there declined to comment on the fire.
Vandenbossche said no one living in the apartments above the businesses was injured.
"Everyone was out when we got here," he said. "I didn't get a head count."
Campbell said most of his possessions were destroyed in the fire.
"We got all kinds of offers (for shelter)," he said. "I'm not sure what we're going to do."
He said he expects the building to be demolished.
"We're waiting for somebody to come and condemn it," he said. "It's ready to fall down, pretty much."
The fire was the second in less than a week to leave St. Clair County residents out in the cold with little more than the clothes on their backs. On Jan. 13, a fire in Berville destroyed a house converted into apartments.
Watch firefighters battle Saturday's Berville fire
Firefighters from several departments battle a fire Saturday in Berville Bob Gross, Times Herald
Firefighters were doing mop-up work in the area of Broadway between Main and Market streets.
Fire Chief Joe Slankster in a Facebook post asked people to avoid the area because of the ice from firefighting operations.
Firefighters from Marine City, Richmond, St. Clair, Algonac, Clay and Ira townships responded to the scene along with Tri-Hospital EMS, Marine City Department of Public Works and Marine City Police Department.
Contact Bob Gross at (810) 989-6263 or rgross@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobertGross477.