Where was this fire?

[highjinx2]

I found this picture on the net, and it was tagged Briggs Fire 1984.
Now the problem I have found, that the Briggs fire happened in 1963, and the building that burned was on Mack & Meldrum, and there wasn't any railroad tracks within a mile of that site.
Does anyone have a clue to what fire this is and what location it is at.
Thanks for any response.

[Detroitnerd]

If I remember right, I was under the impression Briggs had a few shops all over the city, including one down by McGraw.

[jcole]

There are a couple of pictures related to the Aug 7, 1984 Briggs fire for sale on EBay, but I can't find a landmark in either pic that gives me a location.
There was a Briggs plant on Meldrum, one on Vernor and a few others beside the Mack location.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Detroit...-/270931875185

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Briggs-...-/270931875063

[marshamusic]

I found this picture on the net, and it was tagged Briggs Fire 1984.
Now the problem I have found, that the Briggs fire happened in 1963, and the building that burned was on Mack & Meldrum, and there wasn't any railroad tracks within a mile of that site.
Does anyone have a clue to what fire this is and what location it is at.
Thanks for any response.

There was a Briggs plant on Jefferson and Connor; that plant did subcontracted work from the Packard Plant on the Boulevard. It was sold to Chrysler in the midfifties, but it was still known as Briggs for a long time [[my father worked there for a time). Surely there were rail-lines there, with that much auto production.

[jcole]

It was on Miller near Jos Campau. Look at the back of the photo.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Detroit...-/270960516869

[gnome]

The Briggs fire was caused by a couple of goofballs who threw a couple of flares into a paint manufacturing concern that was on the first floor.

The sad part was the top two floors was storage for classic cars.

There was an eccentric fellow named Fritz Gronow [[sp) who operated an interior decorating and movie prop business out of Walter Briggs executive offices on the second floor. He liked to dress up as Walter O Briggs and play pretend.

[marshamusic]

It was on Miller near Jos Campau. Look at the back of the photo.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Detroit...-/270960516869

Duh............Good find!

[highjinx2]

Thanks for your response; too many buildings and too many fires...what a shame for the lost of another great fortress of industry of Detroit's days of glory and fame.

It was on Miller near Jos Campau. Look at the back of the photo.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Detroit...-/270960516869

[56packman]

There were a lot of antique and vintage cars also stored in that building, one guy I knew had the world's most perfect example of the 1949 Buick Rivera hardtop [[the first GM hardtop) in that building. The fire was so hot they only found the frame and engine block after the fire was out. Everything else evaporated.