ANN ARBOR, MI - An Ann Arbor garage fire Monday morning turned into what the fire chief called one of the most physically intensive incidents crews have seen in a while.

Crews were called about 8:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, for a reported structure fire in the 400 block of Highland Road in Ann Arbor, said Mike Kennedy, chief of the Ann Arbor Fire Department.

When crews arrived, they found a garage fire had spread into the attic space of the home, which was built in a high-eaved Tudor style. The construction of the home also included individual pockets in the walls, rather than one open space, Kennedy said.

“There’s all these pockets, and so it’s not one open attic like you would have in a regular construction,” Kennedy said. “The fire had gotten into all these various difficult-to-reach pockets.”

Although the garage fire was quickly extinguished, crews were on scene for several hours opening up the attic space. Firefighters could be seen carrying chainsaws up onto the roof, with an occasional plume of smoke seen billowing upward.

“It was one of the most physically demanding fires we’ve had in a very long time, just because (of) trying to get access to all these pockets of fire,” Kennedy said. “The crews did an amazing job.”

The fire damage was limited to the bedroom above the garage, he said.

No one in the home was injured. One firefighter was treated on scene due to heat exhaustion, Kennedy said.

Crews from Ann Arbor Township, Scio Township, Pittsfield Township, Huron Valley Ambulance and Helping Area Response Teams also responded to the scene. Crews from Saline, Superior Township and Dexter provided backup coverage for responding units.

Crews were still on scene as of 11:30 a.m., Kennedy said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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