Massive apartment building fire leaves one woman dead

A Michigan State Police fire investigator has finished gathering data and was expected to issue a report soon, a person with the Iron Mountain Fire Department said, though the extent of the damage could make pinpointing the location where the fire started difficult.

The department was called out at 10:53 p.m. to 630 E. H St., a 10-unit building at the corner of Jackson and E streets, said Ed Mattson, director of Iron Mountain police and fire services.

“Immediately upon arrival, the Iron Mountain Fire Department started an aggressive offensive attack in an attempt to suppress the fire as well as rescue possible trapped victims,” Mattson stated in a news release posted Saturday on the IMFD Facebook page.

Crews from Kingsford, Norway, Breitung Township, Sagola Township and Aurora, Wis., responded as well under the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, or MABAS.

CREWS FROM SEVERAL area departments were called in late Friday to fight a fire in an apartment building at 630 E. H St. in Iron Mountain. A rig from the Norway Fire Department that could spray water from a ladder overhead eventually knocked down the flames enough that firefighters could search the building, finding the body of a woman. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

Norway brought a rig with a ladder and hose that could spray down on the fire where it had broken through the roof, speeding the process of getting it under control.

An Iron Mountain Public Works employee also boosted well pumps to increase the water pressure for the fire.

It took more than an hour for firefighters to knock down the blaze enough to safely enter the building. They found the body after a short search.

The woman’s name has not been released.

Several other building tenants had injuries that were not considered life threatening, Mattson said in the news release. One person at the fire Friday night said her sister had to jump out of her daughter’s window to escape.

FIREFIGHTERS PREPARE to enter a burning apartment building at 630 E. H St. in Iron Mountain to search for anyone who might have been trapped inside, while a Norway Fire Department rig continues to spray water from a ladder overhead. The body of a woman was found inside during the search. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

The fire caused extensive damage to the upper and main floor levels, with smoke and water damage to two walkout apartments in the basement, the person with the IMFD said Sunday.

The building is believed to be a total loss, Mattson said in his news release.

Also assisting were Kingsford Public Safety, MSP, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department, Integrity Care EMS, North Alert Ambulance, Iron Mountain Department of Public Works, We Energies and DTE Energy.

Mattson thanked the Midtown Quick Lube, 1123 S. Stephenson Ave., for opening the business as a staging area for the American Red Cross to aid displaced residents.

He did not know how many people lived in the building. One unit reportedly was vacant.

THE CHARRED FRONT of the apartment building at 630 E. H St. in Iron Mountain after a fatal fire late Friday. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

The landlord of the building has started a GoFundMe drive for the tenants at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-east-h-tenants-rebuild-their-lives?attribution_id=sl:94c44185-b28a-4a11-83c1-66787508f9b6&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer.

The Maxx Entertainment Center, 2202 Aragon St. in Iron Mountain, also will accept donations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week. A fundraiser is being discussed as well.