Goodrich- Just before 9 a.m. Monday residents of Goodrich House began returning to the charred remains of their apartments.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, Atlas Township firefighters responded to the building at Clarence and Hegel roads, about a half block north of the fire station, following a 9-1-1 call.
Atlas Township Fire Department Capt. Slagle said when firefighters arrived flames were rolling from the second story window on the south end of the century-old building. Fire departments from Brandon and Davison townships also responded to the fire.
Apartment resident Doug Lintz and his wife Amber Van Epps had lived in the second story apartment for about three years, with their sons, Nathan, 4, and Bodie, 2.
‘My wife woke me up? and I could hear Nathan screaming in the other room,? said Lintz. ‘I tried to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, but it was not enough. Then I went in to the boys’ room where Bodie was in his bed and Nathan was by his side screaming.?
Lintz who saw flames coming from an outlet picked up Bodie, while Nathan ran down the stairs and into the parking lot. Both boys received burns to their arms, face and legs. They were taken to the Atlas Fire Station and transported to Hurley Medical Center for treatment.
‘We made sure everyone was out,? said Slagle. ‘Fire in an old building like that moved fast.?
Slagle said that Davison Township Fire Department responded to the blaze with a 100-foot ladder truck which provided firefighters a means to tear open sections of the steel roof without walking on it.
‘That ladder made a big difference,? said Slagle. ‘We had the fire under control a lot faster.?
According to residents, the structure includes eight apartments, with seven occupied when the fire started. All occupants exited the building safely.
Mark Reaume had lived alone in the attic apartment for nine years, but was not at home when the fire started.
‘Everything I had was up there,? said Reaume. ‘I’ve been disabled for the past few years and spent a lot of time working on my music in my apartment. I’m just praying I can recover the hard drive and my music from up there.?
Margie Yarnold, who had lived in a downstairs apartment with her 8-year-old daughter Alexis for the past six months, was asleep when the fire started.
‘Someone pounded on my door and yelled at me to wake up,? said Yarnold. ‘I never heard a smoke detector or anything. I had time to grab a few things, then left.?
Alysia Gucwa had just moved in just five months ago and had fallen asleep on the couch when she heard a hard knock on the door.
‘I was not sure who would be pounding on my door at 4:30 in the morning so I looked through the peep hole and could see my neighbor,? said Gucwa. ‘I just moved here too’I wanted to live in Goodrich– it’s where I grew up. I work out of town and now need a new place to stay.?
Jean Tilton, 80, was sleeping in an upstairs apartment when firefighters came up the stairs to get her out.
‘I had to leave when firefighters came up the stairs, but I was worried about my cats, Apache and Punch-kee,” said Tilton, a former Flint resident. ‘I kept yelling, ‘Oh my cats are inside!? I got out and the firefighters went back inside and found those cats for me’those men were magnificent. I figure my eggs in my refrigerator are fried now,? she laughed.
Chris Harris, apartment manager, said the Goodrich House had no sprinkler system and was not hardwired for smoke detectors. However, he said the complex did have battery smoke detectors along with fire extinguishers required for occupancy.
Harris was not aware of the last time the facility was inspected, but did say it was up to fire code.
Fire investigators from the Michigan State Police arrived on Monday to determine the cause of the fire.