Fire/Rescue

A house in the 100 block of East Congress Street in Sturgis was destroyed by fire early Monday. The Sturgis Fire Department said flames and heavy smoke were observed coming from the front half of the residence upon their arrival. There was nobody in the residence at the time of the blaze, and neighbors told firefighters it had been unoccupied …

Three Rivers Fire Department Captain Jeff Bloomfield was recognized last week for his efforts in heading the annual Firefighters for Santa program. Chief Dan Tomlinson and members of the city commission saluted Bloomfield, as he was presented with a specially designed fire hat that read “Chief Santa.” The presentation was a surprise to Bloomfield, whose wife, Holley, also surprised him …

The Three Rivers Fire Department earlier this week responded to a report of a natural-gas break. Department officials said they received a call shortly before 5 p.m. Monday regarding the smell of gas at 96 Fifth Ave. after a representative from SEMCO sought assistance. The gas meter and electricity to the building was shut off, as its interior had a …

Three Rivers Fire Chief Dan Tomlinson has issued a special warning for people who own buildings with flat roofs. The existing snow-load and the forecasted rainfall should be of immediate concern for residential, commercial and industrial buildings with flat roofs. The combined accumulation of these loads could exceed the structural stability of the roof system, and could result in a …

A family of six was left homeless after their home was destroyed by fire over the weekend. Burr Oak firefighters were called to Spade Road, between Lafayette and Witt Lake roads, around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The home and its contents were a complete loss. The family has four children, three boys ages 4, 9 and 10, and a girl, 6. …

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has renewed a five-year lease agreement with 911/Central Dispatch. During last week’s commission meeting, commissioners approved the agreement for 911/Central Dispatch to continue using the 4,000-square-foot space at 620 E. Main St. The annual rent is $788. When St. Joseph County’s 911 was formed in the 1990s, it constructed its headquarters. The county …

One person was injured Thursday after a roof collapsed at Omni Source Corporation, at 2160 S. Centerville Road, in Sturgis. Sturgis fire crews responded at the scene and found a 100-by-200-foot section of the main building had collapsed. Two employees were in the building at the time, and both escaped. One suffered minor injuries. Gas and power were shut off …

A state environmental official says initial tests haven’t found noxious chemicals in the air or water near a northern Indiana fiberglass factory that caught fire over the weekend. Firefighters continued monitoring the smoldering blaze at the Lami-Plast factory in Elkhart on Monday, a day after it went up in flames and some nearby homes were evacuated. A bulldozer was brought …

Rescue crews saved eight dogs including six puppies from a burning mobile home in southwestern Michigan. Kalamazoo Public Safety says officers responded Sunday night along with firefighters from Portage Public Safety and the Comstock Township Fire Department. When they arrived they found the fire burning in a front bedroom, with smoke filling the home. Officers rescued the dogs. Some of …

A Fabius Township residence sustained severe damage during a fire Sunday afternoon. Fabius/Park Fire Chief Scott Roderick said the residence, in the 10000 block of Hoffman Road, was fully engulfed when fire personnel arrived. Potential cause of the fire is likely due to a wood-burning stove, Roderick said. There were no injuries as a result of the incident.