WARREN (WWJ) — Authorities believe a faulty space heater is to blame for a fire at a Warren office building on Tuesday that led to the evacuation of a neighboring behavioral health facility for special needs children.
The fire broke out shortly after 10:30 a.m. at the Michigan Head and Neck Institute on 11 Mile Road near Ryan Road, according to the Warren Police Department.
The employee who called 911 to report the fire said smoke and flames were coming from the ceiling and attic at the business suite inside the office building. Officials said fire crews were on-scene less than five minutes after getting the call.
The office building also contains a secondary business suite occupied by Trumpet Behavioral Health, which "provides services to adults and children suffering from autism," according to police.
Trumpet Behavioral Health staff safely evacuated 11 special needs children from the suite for precautionary reasons as smoke was carrying over into their suite, officials said.
Fire crews worked quickly to contain the fire and prevented it from fully destroying the building.
Warren police officers worked to secure the area and manage traffic and also coordinated with the Warren Parks & Recreation Department and arranged for an air-conditioned bus to arrive on scene so that the special needs children could wait safely and comfortably for their parents to arrive.
Officials said Trumpet Behavioral Health staff and Warren police officers called parents to notify them and other officers stood by until all children were safely reunited with their parents or guardians.
There were no reported injuries in the fire or during the evacuations.
The preliminary cause of the fire has been determined to be a faulty space heater that tripped an electrical circuit multiple times. The building sustained moderate damage and DTE responded to shut off the electricity to the building.
"The coordinated efforts of the Warren Police, Warren Fire, and Warren Parks & Recreation Department proved to be instrumental in minimizing damage to the building and ensuring the safety of everybody involved," said a press release from the police department. "In particular, these three Departments took steps to ensure the well-being of the children by making sure all children were safe and comfortable during this undoubtedly face-paced scene. This is yet another example of first responders using whatever resources are necessary to serve the community."
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