ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A person was injured and several animals had to be rescued from a fire that destroyed two duplexes in Ann Arbor on Monday.
Ann Arbor fire officials say that at 5:51 p.m. on May 29, a resident was burning cardboard in a fire pit positioned between a detached garage and a duplex on North Maple Road near Dexter Avenue. The flames quickly caught onto the vinyl siding of the building, which “immediately spread the fire into the attic space of each building,” the fire department said.
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The blaze fully involved two duplexes next to each other, as well as several vehicles, officials said. Multiple fire crews responded and were able to contain the flames to the area, despite concerns that the fire could spread to a nearby church.
One resident was reportedly taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. It does not appear that any other people were injured in the fire.
Three cats were rescued and taken to emergency veterinarians. Fire officials said Monday that one cat and one reptile were unaccounted for.
The duplexes sustained such “catastrophic damage” that they will have to be demolished “despite tremendous efforts by firefighters,” officials said. The duplexes were fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.
Officials are reminding Ann Arbor residents to only burn natural wood, and that campfires need to be at least 25 feet away from any structure.