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., on Tuesday, April 7, firefighter arrived to a burning structure at 821 MLK Blvd.
According to the Flint Fire Department, the first victim they rescued told them others had been trapped in the home, as well.
She was rushed to Hurley Medical Center, but tragically, the next victim found was dead.
As crews continued to search the building, they found two additional victims, both of whom had also died.
The cause of the fire was still undetermined at publication time.
However, the danger of being in an abandoned structure comes, especially on a very cold night, when people are trying to stay warm, in general.
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. By then, the roof had collapsed. While he shared he somewhat expected something tragic to happen after getting word that approximately 20 homeless persons were living in the empty property, he was deeply saddened.
According to Watson, not only were the three lives lost, but the home had personal value for him.
“It’s not so much financial, but just our memory wise,” he said.
Watson remembers raising four children with his former spouse 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 was originally owned by Millionaire Minister and Lumber Baron Charles Mann and his wife Mary Elizabeth Mann, who were very active in the community. It had at least 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 as it once was, the house was left vacant, with historic fixtures stolen.
A different owner purchased the home in February of this year, with plans to create transitional housing.
The historic 1907 Dutch Colonial house 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.
Since the fire happened in the early morning, temperatures were near freezing.
“I know there was no electric and no gas on in the house,” stated Watson, acknowledging he did not know the cause of the fire.
The home was ultimately destroyed by the fire.
Watson emphasized the the risks of occupying abandoned buildings and the importance of seeking safe alternatives during cold weather, such as utilizing shelters, when available.
“It’s a great loss,” Watson said of the his former home and, most importantly, the lives that were lost in it.
As of April 14, 2026, publication time, the search of 821 MLK Blvd. had been completed. No additional victims were found.
The investigation, which was being done by the Flint Arson Squad and Michigan State Police, was still ongoing.
