GARDEN CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) — A large fire broke out Sunday evening at a commercial building on Middlebelt Road in Garden City, sending flames and smoke dozens of feet into the air as firefighters battled the blaze for hours.
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Garden City Fire officials said the fire started just after 5 p.m., creating a massive plume of smoke visible from blocks away. Spectators gathered to watch as crews worked to contain the flames that eventually consumed the building.
"The flames, you can feel them from there and right to the porch here," said Chris Gruenwald, a neighbor who witnessed the fire from across the street. "The smoke was everywhere, could barely breathe outside."
The building held significant memories for Ghazi Darwiche, who operated a kitchen materials business there for five years before closing two years ago and moving to Westland. He had been using the space for storage since then.
"Oh, my heart, man," Darwiche said when he saw the destruction.
7 News contacted Darwiche Monday morning to inform him about the fire after finding his former business online.
"When you called and told me my building had been burned, I was very shocked," Darwiche said.
He said a friend was also using two of the buildings for business storage, including clothing and other products.
"He's a very good guy. Has all of his stuff in those two warehouses," Darwiche said.
Over the years, the space housed various businesses including a dance studio and most recently a pet training business. Darwiche said the old building had multiple issues, including loose wiring and leaks.
"It's destroyed, man. From the inside… it looks gone. It's an old building. It has many issues. Leaking and all of this," he said.
Gruenwald watched from his location on Middlebelt and Balmoral as firefighters arrived after a passerby reported the fire.
"First time seeing ladders going a hundred and some feet in the air," Gruenwald said. "It just got worse and worse. Starting engulfing everything up."
Fire crews said the flames compromised the roof and caused severe damage to the building, along with smoke damage to at least one surrounding business. No injuries were reported.
"I got to give it to them. They did one heck of a job," Gruenwald said.
Garden City Fire officials said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
"I feel sad. I feel miserable," Darwiche said. "You never know what's going to happen tomorrow."
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