PRESQUE ISLE CO. -- A fire that burned all day Monday and gutted a historic downtown Rogers City building, damaging businesses and apartments, kept firefighters busy for nearly 12 hours.
The fire, which started as a grease fire in one of the apartments, started around 11 am and crews were working as late as 10 pm.
Rogers City Fire Chief Michael Kroll told 7&4 News that all the factors were against his team Monday and that's why it took so long to put this fire out.
"Gotta keep hoses running so they don't freeze up, I got to keep rotating guys out so they don't get too cold, so its been very difficult," Kroll said.
As firefighters worked to douse the fire, the building's roof collapsed, hampering firefighters as they continued efforts to control the blaze.
"This is a 100-year-old building converted into apartments, so you got dropped ceilings, all kinds of walls, it's just being a pain," Kroll said.
The building is in the 400 block of North Third Street, currently home to Jack's Barber Shop and some apartments. The building dates back to at least the early 20th century when it was the Fred Fisch Brewery, which was operating there from 1914 until 1919 when it closed just before Prohibition became the law of the land.
One person was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. The firefighters health was also at risk due to the extremely low temperatures.
City Manager Mark Slown thanked the Red Cross and the local Senior Center for the meals and support for the firefighters.
