Three departments assist Manchester with fire at Martinrea plant

The Manchester Township Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 11:30 pm on Friday, May 10 to a reported structural fire in the shipping area of the Martinrea plant on Parr Street on the southeast side of town.

“The first engine arrived minutes later with smoke venting from an open door,” said MTFD Chief Bill Scully. “Several pallets of cardboard were found smoldering. The sprinkler system had activated; this kept the fire contained until a hand line could be stretched to finish extinguishing the fire.”

Scully said that damage was limited to the burned cardboard and a small area of insulation on the plant wall near where the pallets were located. Firefighters from Clinton, Grass Lake, and Chelsea assisted and were on the scene for just over an hour, extinguishing the fire and removing smoke from the building. Tecumseh Fire was cancelled prior to arrival, and Saline firefighters covered the Manchester station in their absence.

At this time, the cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported from the fire, according to Scully, and the plant should have been able to return to normal operation on Saturday morning.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.