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Van Buren apartments where fighter jet crashed catch fire for 3rd time this year

No injuries reported Tuesday

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A Wayne County apartment community where a fighter jet crashed amid an air show in August caught fire on Tuesday for the third time this year, according to the fire chief.

A fire broke out at the Waverly on the Lake apartments in Van Buren Township sometime in the early morning of Tuesday, Sept. 5. A third-floor resident of the apartment complex said she woke up to see the fire in her living room around 4 a.m.

She and all of her neighbors were able to get out safely, she said.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and were monitoring hot spots to ensure the fire didn’t reignite. The fire chief told Local 4 that it’s the third time this apartment complex has caught fire this year.

In total, six units were damaged in the fire, and four units were rendered a total loss. Two units will reportedly suffer from water damage. The roof of the building was completely destroyed.

See footage from the scene in the video player up above.

Fire officials said a fire wall prevented the flames from spreading to other nearby apartment buildings. No injuries were reported Tuesday morning.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Last month, the Van Buren Township apartment community made headlines when a Soviet-era fighter jet crashed in a vacant field and landed in the parking lot of the apartments during the Thunder Over Michigan air show. While performing in the show, the plane experienced engine issues, officials said. The pilot and a crew member were able to safely eject before the crash.

Several unoccupied cars in the parking lot were damaged by the plane, and the apartment building was reportedly singed, but the plane did not hit the building or any people.

More on that story: Pilot in Michigan air show jet crash wasn’t ready to eject, report says


About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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