SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - A shuttered beauty supply shop in Southfield was laid to waste Tuesday morning after an early morning blaze ripped through a strip mall, prompting a large scale emergency response, officials said.
WWJ's Mike Campbell reported live from the scene on 10 Mile, just west of Southfield Road in Southfield where the fire has been extinguished, but clean up efforts have just begun.
"The fire is out but the damage is done," Campbell said in a 6:30 a.m. update. "There was a beauty supply store that was actually closed... it was not an operating business at the moment, but that appears to be where the fire started."
Southfield Fire Chief Johnny Menifee told Campbell that fire fighters wasted no time in getting out to the blaze. The department got the call about 4 a.m. and crews were at the scene by 4:05 a.m.
"Initial call came as a commercial building with flames through the roof," Menifee said. "We got some updates from our police department before we made arrival and pretty much just as they said, we got here, flames were through the roof in the middle of the building. From there the incident commander called a second alarm. We did have help from Birmingham, Ferndale and Royal Oak."
With the additional help, fire crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other stores in the strip mall, although Campbell said the Mogul Men's Clothing store may have sustained some damage.
The other business in the same strip mall, including a Van Dyke Men’s Clothing, Wing Hong Restaurant and Dollar General store appear to have escaped the worst of the fire.
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Menifee told Campbell crews are now worried that the roof could collapse and they will remain on scene until further notice.
At this time, there is no word on how the fire started, but officials are expected to conduct an investigation into the cause once it is safe to do so.
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