Discuss Detroit » Archives - July 2008 » Smoke smell in midtown? « Previous Next »
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Birdie
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Username: Birdie

Post Number: 92
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 2:42 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

has anyone else smelled the intense smoke smell in midtown tonight? any ideas about it? we can't see any fire or hear alarms, but standing on the corner of second and forest it is overwhelming! it's kind of foggy, so it's hard to see what is smoke and what is fog. it seems to be coming from the east.
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Andylinn
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Username: Andylinn

Post Number: 1076
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 2:45 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Loud fire truck horn (a very distinct sound) at 2:45, heard from my APT on Second and Hancock. Faint sirens in the distance.

VERY strong smoke odor, but no visual sign of fire.
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Birdie
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Username: Birdie

Post Number: 93
Registered: 04-2007
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 2:55 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i think that might have been an ambulance...just saw one from the window. the smell is really weird - almost like a huge bonfire.
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Sjmes
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Username: Sjmes

Post Number: 11
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 3:13 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The old Randora Hotel on Garfield between Woodward and John R on the South side is burning down. Let's hope it doesn't spread to the occupied house next to it! Luckily Detroit's finest is on the scene in full force.
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Sjmes
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Username: Sjmes

Post Number: 12
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 3:25 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was just woken from slumber with this horrible news. Can someone post pics? Tetsua? The building next to this one burned down not to long ago. The homeless seem to be fairly careless burning these structures down. The last to burn was slated for redevelopment and they had just finished cleaning the debris out and were preparing it for construction when it burned a few days later. The building that is burning now was just updated as "pending" regarding its sale. (Probably to a re-developer.) There has been only one homeless person named "P.T." living in there lately. He has lived in there for years and is always there. I hope he wasn't injured in the fire. I REALLY hope that the house next to it will escape these apparently large flames that are right next to it as it is fully occupied and the owner is very good to his property/community.
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Mbr
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Username: Mbr

Post Number: 434
Registered: 03-2005
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 3:38 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I thought my building was on fire. That's a pretty intense smell.

Alternately, did anyone check out what was going on at Woodward & Warren between 9:30 and 10:30? There were about 10 police cars and the northbound lane was completely blocked.
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Sjmes
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Username: Sjmes

Post Number: 13
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 3:45 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

MBR, sadly, a pedestrian lost his life to a car. I don't have more detail then that. A very bad night for midtown. Are you in the building next to the parking lot?
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Andylinn
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Username: Andylinn

Post Number: 1077
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 8:52 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

so the fire was right near MOCAD?
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Andylinn
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Username: Andylinn

Post Number: 1078
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 8:54 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Just got a text from a friend saying that the home nextdoor was indeed safe so far.
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Baselinepunk
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Username: Baselinepunk

Post Number: 119
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 9:56 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was walking out of campus yesterday evening and before I got to the Palmer street parking garage I was hit with the over powering smell of burning tires. This was at about 3:00 pm. I looked over toward the east and noticed the incinerator smoke was blowing toward campus.
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Whittier70
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Username: Whittier70

Post Number: 219
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 10:08 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sjmes, is PT of caucasian descent?
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Gravitymachine
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Username: Gravitymachine

Post Number: 1712
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 10:27 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

welcome to detroit new director of mocad!
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Sjmes
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Username: Sjmes

Post Number: 14
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 10:58 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, it is by the MOCAD. On the same side of the street. There use to be 3 abandoned buildings and 3 functioning buildings on the street. 2 of the three had received funding for renovation. 1 of those 2 burned several weeks ago. The one that burned last night (apparently it was still burning at 5:30 this morning) was the old Randora hotel. This was part of Paradise Valley. The hotel was owned by Randolph Wallace originally as well as the Garfield Lounge (now the gravel lot on the corner of John R. and Garfield). It was hard to tell but lots of history had happened in that neighborhood.

Whittier70, if you are talking about the Caucasian gentleman who use to sit and sleep on the door step of that building all the time, I have not seen him in many months. The homeless population started to stagger off once they closed the Cross-Roads. That didn't bother me too much since they were always hanging out in front of the Randora or in the field across the road doing drugs.

On a side note, the world has one less '85 Yugo as it was parked in the garage behind the hotel, abandoned, for many, many years. (possibly the cause for excessive smoke/smell?)

http://www.time.com/time/speci als/2007/article/0,28804,16585 45_1658533_1658529,00.html,
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Rhymeswithrawk
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Username: Rhymeswithrawk

Post Number: 1705
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 3:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What were the cross streets for the Randora? We were at the Motor City Brewing Works around 2-2:30 and could smell the fire from inside.

(Message edited by rhymeswithrawk on February 14, 2009)
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Cheddar_bob
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Username: Cheddar_bob

Post Number: 1768
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009 - 3:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If it was just a bunch of smoke, maybe ccbatson was in town.
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Tetsua
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Username: Tetsua

Post Number: 1545
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 6:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just walked into my apartment after being out of town for a week, to discover my place smells like an ash tray. Looked out the window and saw the last building that was fully intact on the block, is now burnt to hell. A crew just removed the rubble from the OTHER burnt up building about 2 weeks ago, and now there's another eye sour on the block ... sheez.
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Rhymeswithrawk
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Username: Rhymeswithrawk

Post Number: 1728
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 10:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Welcome to Detroit, Tetsua. :-(
Sigh.
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Gannon
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Username: Gannon

Post Number: 8999
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 10:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah Tetsua, very convenient that you would be away.


Working that alibi evidence trail...
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Tetsua
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Username: Tetsua

Post Number: 1546
Registered: 01-2004
Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 11:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ahhhh, you got me Gannon :-) Seriously though, I wonder how many more times this building will be on fire before it starts falling in ... like the building that used to be next to it. This building was already on fire 2 times last summer.
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Sjmes
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Username: Sjmes

Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009 - 11:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tetsua, That building was far from intact but was better then the other two. The only thing that stinks is that the other two were under renovation when one of them burned. This one currently had no plan that was being executed on it yet. Welcome home though! Sorry about the smell. Hopefully this means there will be one less abandoned building standing though. I always was surprised that that little building was a hotel. The sign in the back next to the garage door still informed visitors "Hotel Entrance." I am really glad that the fire didn't do any serious damage to the house next to it!! I wonder, however if anyone has questioned P.T. where he was when the fire started. I am not saying that he did it but I would imagine he would at least have some info since he slept there every night.

That building, the gravel parking lot, and one of the grass fields across from the Randora, all were being fought over in a lawsuit that took many many months and was finally resolved recently between the old owner's son and daughter and another lady who was also in her 70s/80s.

A developer in the area has been working diligently for years to have this neighborhood redeveloped and rejuvenated. He has been working to get it listed as historic as the Sugar Hill Arts District. Good luck to him and he has my support.

I was waiting for you to post some pictures, Tatsua. Hope you were on an enjoyable vacation.
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Rhymeswithrawk
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Username: Rhymeswithrawk

Post Number: 1731
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 - 12:27 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Pictures of the Randora on fire:

http://flickr.com/photos/snweb /
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Sjmes
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Username: Sjmes

Post Number: 16
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 - 12:53 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for the photos Rhymes. I was woken up at 3:00 to be informed that there was a fire. When I asked which building was on fire, the person calling just kept repeating "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" I thought he saw aliens attacking!

Rhymes, are you a fireman? You have a lot of great photos. Detroit really does have an amazing fire department!
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Gravitymachine
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Username: Gravitymachine

Post Number: 1713
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 - 8:12 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

rhymeswith, is that your duster?
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Rhymeswithrawk
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Username: Rhymeswithrawk

Post Number: 1734
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 - 10:35 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I didn't take those photos, just linked to 'em. Sorry for the confusion!

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