Benton Harbor homeless encampment catches fire overnight Sunday

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety dispatched fire trucks to a local homeless encampment Monday morning after receiving calls of smoke coming from an abandoned storage building. 

The call came in around 3:15 a.m. and when the first crew arrived on the scene at the intersection of 8th and Main Streets, they found fire and smoke coming through the roof of an abandoned storage building/homeless encampment.

Officials say the Benton Charter Township Fire Department was called to assist and while crews were attacking the fire, a homeless male made it out through a window on the opposite side of the building.

The fire was quickly knocked down once the building was opened up and there were no injuries reported.

Officials say the building is a known location for unhoused people to gather and that this is the third fire they have responded to at the building in the last year. They are currently working with the owner of the property to have it torn down. 

Earlier in the weekend, on Saturday, BHDPS, Benton Charter Township Fire Department, and St. Joseph Department of Public Safety crews responded to a fire in a vacant residence on Vineyard Avenue near Fair Avenue.

Officials say an aggressive fire attack was made, and the fire was extinguished with no injuries reported.