Cause of Lakewood Apartments fire in Stockbridge not electrical Inspectors uncertain of cause, but electrical ruled out
Stockbridge, MI – August 18, 2020 – A fire inspector, electrical engineer, and a forensics engineer have determined the fire that occurred on August 11th at Lakewood Apartments was not caused by an electrical problem, but are uncertain of the exact cause of the fire.
No one was injured in the fire. Twenty-three people from 15 apartments had to evacuate, some with help from neighbors from nearby buildings. All are displaced and won’t be able to reoccupy their units until rebuilding is complete, which will start this fall.
The fire broke out between 6:30 and 7 pm Tuesday of last week and took firefighters until 12 midnight to extinguish it. SAESA, the Stockbridge police department, and the fire departments from Mason, Leslie, Chelsea, Unadilla, Henrietta, and Dansville all assisted in the response to the fire.
The Red Cross arrived at the scene with funds and toiletry kits. They continue to help the displaced residents with further needs.
Any residents that were affected are asked to have their insurance companies contact Lakewood Apartment’s property manager. Due to the unsafe nature of the building, residents will not be able to retrieve any belongings until a property restoration company can do so for them.
“We’re very grateful for the community of Stockbridge,” said Marea Powell, director of property management for PK Companies, the property management company that oversees Lakewood Apartments. “Everyone stepped up, whether it was with food, money, clothing, or support. I’d like to give special thanks to Rob’s Pizza and Eaton Federal Bank for organizing monetary donations. We’d also like to thank The Red Cross and Stockbridge Community Outreach.”
