1/19/19 - Grand Ledge body shop fire, 5895 E. Saginaw Hwy

On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 1209 PM, the Grand Ledge Fire Department responded to a fire in the body shop at Sundance Chevrolet, 5895 E. Saginaw Hwy. Automatic aid was also dispatched from the Delta Township Fire Department, which arrived on scene first to find a fully involved pole barn type structure with partial collapse. The building was occupied when the fire started, all people had been safely evacuated before FD arrival. Cold winds & snow created additional hazards as fire crews worked to protect close exposures on the "D" side of the structure, and begin an attack on the fire. Water supply was another challenge right from the start, with the closest hydrant over 1000 feet away from the fire. Grand Ledge used their engine to relay from the hydrant in order to supply their aerial as master streams formed the primary attack. The north end of the Eaton County Tanker Task Force was activated, and additional tankers were called from Clinton County to assist with water supply to Delta's pumper and a mutual aid engine from Roxand Twp which provided protection for the homes downwind from the fire. The Defensive attack had the flames knocked down in under an hour, but crews were on the scene well into the evening performing overhaul and final extinguishment.