UPDATE: A fifth home received minor damage from the heat of the North Street fire, bringing the total number of homes damaged by fire overnight in the city to six, Kalamazoo Public Safety reported Tuesday morning. The occupant reported to have made it out safely of one of the homes has been identified as an 84-year-old woman who has been displaced after 40-plus years in her home.
KALAMAZOO, MI — Five homes, four of which were vacant, burned overnight in two separate fires in Kalamazoo.
Both fires are being deemed suspicious at this time by the fire marshal’s office, Kalamazoo Public Safety Lt. Matt Schemenauer confirmed with MLive on June 3. An investigation by the fire marshal’s office is underway.
Both fires occurred hours after an overnight citywide curfew went into effect at 7 p.m.
Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas announced the curfew at a Tuesday morning press conference in response to vandalism and looting that occurred the night before which resulted in tear-gassing of vandals and protesters.
Numerous protests against police brutality occurred throughout the area Monday in response to the killing of 46-year-old black man George Floyd by a now former Minneapolis police officer.
Another peaceful protest occurred Tuesday night. Protesters were tear-gassed shortly after the curfew went into effect after refusing to disperse.
No connection is being made by law enforcement between the protests and the fires at this time.
Firefighters with Kalamazoo Public Safety responded to the first of the two overnight blazes at around 11:20 p.m. June 2 near the intersection of West North Street and Staples Avenue.
Four homes were heavily damaged in the that fire, Schemenauer said.
When officers arrived on scene, three structures on West North Street were actively burning. One of them was completely engulfed in flames, a news release from the department stated.
Within minutes of firefighters arriving on scene, the fire had spread to a fourth structure in the 700 block of Staples Avenue, the release states.
One resident was evacuated safely from one of the homes and no injuries were reported, authorities on scene told an MLive reporter.
A call on a second fire, in the 900 block of Stockbridge Avenue, came in at around 1:08 a.m., Schemenauer said.
The residence, which was vacant and unoccupied, was engulfed in flames when public safety officers arrived, he said.
All the adjacent residences were protected, Schemenauer said.
Firefighters from the Kalamazoo Township Fire Department, Oshtemo Township Fire Department, Portage Department of Public Safety, Cooper Township Fire Department and Texas Township Fire Department assisted on the two fires.
Also on MLive:
Multiple houses on fire along Kalamazoo street
Kalamazoo protesters urge police to join them, are tear-gassed after curfew
‘My heart was wrenched with pain,’ assistant chief says of ordering tear gas on protesters
Kalamazoo city leaders met with protesters, who demanded answers about public safety’s use of force
‘Outside agitators’ forced officers to deploy tear gas, pepper spray in Kalamazoo, police say
Volunteers help business owners clean up after night of protests, vandalism in Kalamazoo
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Five structures burn overnight in Kalamazoo, all deemed suspicious - mlive.com
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