3 departments respond to fire in Amber Twp.

AMBER TWP. – Three fire departments responded to a fire at Mid-Way Auto Sales, 645 W. U.S. 10-31 this afternoon. When the first truck arrived, flames were shooting out of the peak of the roof, Scottville Fire Chief Dale Larr said.

The building was built as a motel, the Scottville Motel, most likely in the 1950s. It is a long and narrow building and its ceiling is continuous throughout the structure, making it susceptible to fire spreading quickly.

Larr said someone had been working on the electrical panel when the panel caught on fire.

“They were able to call 911 right away which helped a lot,” Larr said.

PM firefighter Ed Rasmussen works on the building's roof.

Owner Roger Lemire said he has owned the building for 35 years. He bought it when it was still a motel. At one point the building was a western-themed outlet store before becoming a used car dealership.

“When that thing caught fire I just got out of there,” Lemire said.

Larr said firefighters were able to quickly identify the main location of the fire and cut a hole in the roof, allowing the fire to escape and allowing firefighters to put water on that location.

“With that wind today and the construction of that building, we are pretty lucky it didn’t spread more than it did. This is what we call a good save.”

Scottville, Custer Township and Pere Marquette Township fire departments responded along with Mason County Sheriff’s Office and Life EMS.

See video from the scene at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4130399855053

Owner Roger Lemire, center, talks with EMS and a friend.

SFD Chief Dale Larr with PM firefighter Ed Rasmussen

Story and photos by Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief