COLDWATER TOWNSHIP (WTVB) – Electrical issues were probably the cause of the blaze early Monday in Coldwater Township that heavily damaged the Coldwater Inn, leaving dozens of residents of the motel homeless. The individuals and families managed to escape without injury but basically lost all they owned in the fire that started in the motel office. Coldwater Fire Chief Rich Sherman said the night before they were called for a reported electrical fire in the attic above the office where they discovered a smoldering wire. The power was shut off and the ceiling was pulled from below and the insulation that had smoldered was cleared out with no fire, water, or smoke damage. An electrician was contacted to check out the issues and Sherman stressed the major blaze early Monday morning was not a result of a rekindle from the first incident. The residents of the rooms, now without electricity Sunday evening, were told to leave their one story section of rooms and relocate to the two story wing of the motel on the east side of the property. Sherman said all of the occupants evacuated with one exception and the couple in that unit near the office were the ones who smelled smoke early Monday and called 911 to report the fire shortly before 4 a.m. Sherman also said a witness on Sunday evening saw smoke coming from an electrical outlet in the office manager’s living area but never let the Fire Department know about the situation. One fireman suffered hypothermia in fighting the flames in the sub zero conditions and was treated and released from the Community Health Center of Branch County.
Meanwhile, the Coach Eby Youth and Family Center in Coldwater remains the central location for assisting the displaced residents. The Branch County Victim Services Unit says clothing donations are no longer needed and their efforts, along with the Red Cross, are now centering on helping the families learn what their best options are for resources and living accommodations going forward as they attempt to put their lives back on track. The BCVSU is doing that this afternoon until 7 p.m. this evening and there will then be a dinner. Monetary donations can be made by check to the Branch County Victim Services Unit with the memo line designating Coldwater Inn Fire Victims and mailed to the Branch County Sheriff’s Department, 580 Marshall Road, Coldwater, MI 49036.
