Another Abandoned Building Fire Sends Thick Smoke Over Flint

If you happened to look up at the sky over Flint Thursday morning and saw a giant column of thick black smoke, no, you weren't imagining things. While wildfires burning in Canada and Minnesota have recently grabbed everyone's attention with hazy skies and smoky conditions, this time the smoke was coming from right here in Flint.

Smoke Fills The Flint Sky Thursday Morning

Jeremy Fenech

A structure fire was reported to Genesee County 911 at 10:44 Thursday morning on Elm Road, just off Dort Highway between Atherton and Lippincott Roads. The smoke was reportedly visible from areas as far south as Grand Blanc.

READ MORE: Mundy Township Fire Leaves 12 Units Destroyed, Families Displaced

Flint Fire Department, Flint Police and Patriot Ambulance all responded to the scene. Firefighters quickly went to work battling the blaze. Fortunately, the building was abandoned, and no injuries have been reported as of this writing. The fire is also the latest in a string of highly visible fires involving abandoned or vacant buildings in the Flint area.

Apartment Fire in Mundy Township Destroyed 12 Units and Displaced Families

Jeremy Fenech/FenCom Media

This comes just days after a fire at Crystal Lake Apartments in Mundy Township. That fire was so intense that the smoke could be seen from areas as far south as Lake Fenton.

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Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured in that fire. However, 12 families were displaced and are now looking for new places to live.

Another Abandoned Building Fire In Flint

And even before Thursday's fire on Elm Road, firefighters had another abandoned building fire to deal with less than a mile away.

READ MORE: Fire at Abandoned Flint Laundromat Fills Flint Sky with Smoke

A fire at an abandoned laundromat on Atherton Road just east of Dort Highway sent another massive cloud of thick black smoke into the sky. That smoke was also visible for miles, creating quite a contrast against the clear blue summer sky. That earlier fire was reported in recent local coverage as having destroyed the abandoned laundromat.

Why The Smoke Over Genesee County Was So Noticeable

Jeremy Fenech

The timing of Thursday's fire made the smoke especially hard to miss. Instead of being mixed into a hazy or smoky sky like we've seen during some of the recent Canadian wildfire activity, the plume was rising against an otherwise clear blue sky. That made the black smoke stand out from a considerable distance.

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For people driving through Flint, Mundy Township, Grand Blanc and other parts of Genesee County, the giant plume was one of those unmistakable signs that something was happening nearby.

Smoke Over Flint and Genesee County Becoming a Familiar Sight

Two separate fires involving abandoned buildings in the Flint, and an apartment complex in Mundy Township in a matter of days have produced some remarkably visible smoke columns.

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At this point, the latest fire on Elm Road is under control, and there have been no reported injuries. The cause of the fire and the extent of damage have not been confirmed.