Written by Tanya Terry, with photo by L.M. Land
After receiving reports of smoke and flames coming from the rear of an abandoned home, at approximately 5:25 a.m. firefighter arrived to a burning structure at 821 MLK Blvd.
They initially pulled two victims out of the abandoned home, with one of the victims being dead.
The other victim was rushed to Hurley Medical Center.
As crews continued to search the building, they found two additional victims, both of whom had unfortunately died.
Chief Wiggins of the City of Flint Fire Department stated the ages and sexes of the victims were still unknown.
“The danger in an abandoned structure comes, especially on a very cold night, when people are trying to stay warm,” he said.
Genesee County Resident Garry Watson once owned the historic home, which he purchased in March of 2005. Watson learned about the fire through a phone call from a former neighbor. While he shared he somewhat expected issues due to approximately 20 unhoused persons reportedly living in the empty property, he was deeply saddened.
According to Watson, not only were three lives tragically lost, but the home had personal value for him.
“It’s not so much financial, but just our memory wise,” he said.
He remembers raising his family in the home. He also remembers having very elegant parties in the home, in which friends and families would pass dishes they prepared to each other.
Additionally, Watson spent 18 years meticulously restoring the home to its original historic aspects, including preserving original plaster work and creating a Victorian-style rose garden. The house, originally owned by millionaire minister and lumber baron Charles Mann and his wife Mary Elizabeth Mann, had seven bedrooms and two kitchens.
Watson sold the property in 2022 due to physical limitations, hoping the new owners would continue its restoration. However, after some attempt from the LLC out of New York he sold the home to to make the home an apartment building again, the house was left vacant, with historic fixtures stolen.
It was ultimately destroyed by the fire.
The historic 1907 Dutch Colonial house in Flint, was also previously a fire station in the 1840s.
Watson told the Courier that that the house had previously caught fire in the 1970s and was a “balloon house” with dry hardwood that burns intensely.
He emphasized the the risks of occupying abandoned buildings and the importance of seeking safe alternatives during cold weather, such as utilizing shelters.
“It’s a great loss,” Watson said.
