ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Escanaba Public Safety has determined the starting point of the fire that destroyed two downtown businesses and killed one individual.
The department’s investigation has revealed that the fire originated on the second floor of 1011 Ludington Street. The second floor contained apartments, with business Trinkets & Treasures housed on the first floor. Trinkets & Treasures and neighboring business Schwalbach Kitchens were total losses.
“We can confirm the fire did not start in an adjoining building and spread to 1011,” said Escanaba Public Safety Captain Darren Smith. “At this point, we’re still digging through, taking measurements, trying to put everything back together on paper using diagrams, and photographs throughout the process of putting the fire out.”
At this time, Smith says the body of the victim still has yet to be positively identified.
“The process we’re working with right now, the Michigan State Police Crime Lab has DNA samples for comparison,” he said. “We’re not sure exactly how long it’s going to take, but once we get that positive identification of the body, we will release that to the public.”
When asked about a GoFundMe containing an alleged name of the victim, Smith says officials have been notified of the webpage. However, until the Crime Lab completes its analysis, Public Safety cannot confirm whether or not it is the actual name of the person found in the fire.
The Public Safety Department’s investigation into the cause of the incident also remains ongoing. WZMQ 19 will update this story as more information is released.
