No one injured in Buckham Alley fire, investigation pending

Flint, MI—The Flint Fire Department got the call for a fire on the 500 block of Buckham Alley around 4 p.m. today.

By the time they arrived, there was black smoke coming out of the second story window, adjacent to the Torch Bar and Grill, and directly above artist Tim Kranz’s studio.

“I’m just hoping for the best,” said Kranz, waiting to learn the extent of fire, water, and smoke damage alongside the property owner and other commercial tenants at the corner of Buckham Alley and Second Street.

Kranz had come to check on his workplace neighbors and survey the possible damage to his artwork, but had not yet been allowed inside the building. He said he expected there would be a lot of water damage since his studio is directly under the area of the building where the fire had taken place.

But Kranz said he was just relieved that everyone was okay.

Flint Fire Department Batallion Chief Mike Kovach confirmed that there were no injuries from the fire. The department had also received a call for “entrapment” (when someone is stuck inside a burning building) but the person in question had made it safely out, Kovach said.

Kovach said he could not yet confirm the cause of the fire. He added that an investigation would be required since the fire occurred at a commercial property.

Ron Sims, owner of the Torch, waited in the parking lot with one of his employees while firefighters began wrapping up around 6 p.m. He said he hoped they might reopen tonight if the damage was contained as Battalian Chief Kovach had said, but they had not been allowed back into the bar yet.