Fire in North End?

[unrealdetroit]

I am looking north out from my Eastern Market loft, and I see a very large smoke mushroom cloud rising in what appears to be North End or possibly Highland Park. Does anyone know what is up? It is pretty hard to miss, as the smoke seems to be dominating the northern skyline.

[MikeM]

Old Sanders HQ up in flames, Oakman/Hamilton area.

[MikeM]

This traffic camera has provided a good view: http://trafficland.com/city/DET/camera/15968/index.html

This one too: http://trafficland.com/city/DET/camera/8550/index.html

And I94/Greenfield: http://trafficland.com/city/DET/camera/8535/index.html

[Danny]

It's a 5 fire alarm the old Sanders HQ in Detroit's West Side near Highland Park next to Old Yellow Pages Building. Parts of factory is vacant. Possibly the fire phantom may strike that place. However will leave to the authorities to solve this fire.

[brandon48202]

The address is 100 Oakman Blvd, Highland Park. The current owner bought it in last years tax auction. It is currently for sale.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/14256...hland-Park-MI/

It's 430,000 sq. ft. That would explain the size of the smoke cloud.

[downtownguy]

This traffic camera has provided a good view: http://trafficland.com/city/DET/camera/15968/index.html

This one too: http://trafficland.com/city/DET/camera/8550/index.html

And I94/Greenfield: http://trafficland.com/city/DET/camera/8535/index.html

Pretty impressive view of the smoke from that first link, MikeM. Does anybody know if those cameras' views can be swiveled by remote control? I don't see a single road visible on that first link.

[unrealdetroit]

Traffic cam view, as terrifyingly loud fighter jets flying overhead my building. Ohhhh, Detroit.

[Meddle]

Does anybody know if those cameras' views can be swiveled by remote control? I don't see a single road visible on that first link.

I'm sure MDOT can. Web users shouldn't be able to.

[Danny]

Now KING BING! This is what happen if cut the Detroit Fire Dept. Mayoral candidate Mike Duggan will use your scare tactic against Bing.

Mike Duggan for Mayor of Detroit 2013.

[Zads07]

@Danny, It's actually in Highland Park, so it's not really Detroit, but I agree.

[Meddle]

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=805

[Meddle]

It's actually in Highland Park,

From the picture in the article, I'd say 'just barely'

[detroittrader]

At around 11 am the roof crashed down and the sound was enormous, then a mushroom cloud. For a full minute you could not see these firefighters:




Wish the Pink Floyd pig would have floated acrossed for this pic...lol:

[John]

It's a 5 fire alarm the old Sanders HQ in Detroit's West Side near Highland Park next to Old Yellow Pages Building. Parts of factory is vacant. Possibly the fire phantom may strike that place. However will leave to the authorities to solve this fire.

Its not in Detroit and its not a 5 alarm fire.

It started sometime after 5 AM. I was there around 8:00 AM and only Highland Park & Hamtramck were there.....it was obvious the fire was getting away from them. Around 8:30, a Detroit ladder truck arrived, but still, the FD response to a fire of that size was amazingly low. The smoke was flowing to the north & you could clearly smell & see it in Ferndale & Huntington Woods.

[Scottathew]

I was able to see the smoke from 12/Dequindre.

[rb336]

I wonder how far the plume of smoke traveled. From 75, it looked like a volcano spewing ash into the sky.

I could see the plume looking from 15 Mile/Crooks. Looked like it might go a few miles further north

[mikefmich]

*sigh*

Sanders was the first real world legit job I had, shortly after I got out of HS.
Wonder how many zillions boxes and tubs of ice cream I handled that came out of that place.

Oh well.....time marches on, particulary in Detroit...or HP for you folks big on semantics.

[jtf1972]

It's Highland Park's latest attraction. Similar to the Simpson's "Springfield Tire Fire" it will burn forever.

Now, all kidding aside...

Here's wishing all the firefighters safety.

I am wondering if the decision to just let it burn itself out has anything to do with the size of the HPFD and the cutbacks in DFD. If you don't have the manpower to properly devote to a fire that size AND it is a vacant building, what's the point in risking lives?

I wonder if/when the fire is out if there will be any evidence left to determine the cause of the fire.

[[A special shout-out goes to Morley Candy, who bought Sanders and moved production of the [[now mediocre at best) cakes to Georgia.)

[MikeM]

I wonder how far the plume of smoke traveled. From 75, it looked like a volcano spewing ash into the sky.

I could see the plume looking from 15 Mile/Crooks. Looked like it might go a few miles further north

An approximate 24 hour trajectory starting at 6:00 AM:

[5speedz34]

In the summer of '09 there was that big chemical fire in the same general vicinity of HP. I could see that from the Van Dyke Expressway and 18 1/2 mile.

-So I'm sure you could see that far north today.

[Mikeg]

I was on Van Dyke north of 22 Mile Rd at 10 AM when I noticed the towering cloud of smoke and the plume trailing off to the northwest. I turned on the car radio just in time to hear the announcer on WWJ mention that the old Sanders factory was on fire.

[downtownguy]

An approximate 24 hour trajectory starting at 6:00 AM:

Geez, the amazing things our DYESers know.

[John]

More Pictures:

8AM Saturday: Hamtramck Platform Truck working

Same location 12 hours later - Hamtramck truck relieved by Berkley truck

[detroittrader]

The Berkley truck pulled up front on Oakman around 10:30 and they got right to work:




HPFD guy pulls the Berkley hose to hydrant:

[rb336]

I am wondering if the decision to just let it burn itself out has anything to do with the size of the HPFD and the cutbacks in DFD. If you don't have the manpower to properly devote to a fire that size AND it is a vacant building, what's the point in risking lives?

I'm certain it had more to do with the huge amount of fuel inside. Those things are almost impossible to kill. smarter and far safer to contain them, keep them from spreading.