Fencing surrounds the front of the house at 532 Ann St., where a fire erupted early Sunday morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire officials still are investigating the cause of a fire that burned a house on 532 Ann St. early Sunday morning, East Lansing Fire Inspector Gerald Rodabaugh said.
The East Lansing Fire Department responded to a call at 3:39 a.m. Sunday, Rodabaugh said. About 15 East Lansing firefighters helped extinguish the fire by about 4:17 a.m., Rodabaugh said.
Two individuals were in the house during the fire, but neither were injured, he said.
The front of the house and a bedroom were severely damaged by the fire. A preliminary estimate of the damage caused by the fire to the building and the possessions within was set at $35,000, Rodabaugh said.
Other areas of the house suffered smoke and heat damage, he said.
About 14 people are leased to live in the house, although about eight live there regularly during the summer, resident and kinesiology senior Ryan Sajewski said.
Sajewski’s room is directly across from the bedroom that was destroyed in the fire, he said.
At first, Sajewski thought it was his room that had been damaged.
“I was expecting (to) see my room (and) everything I own to be completely burned,” he said.
After a “sigh of relief,” Sajewski’s thoughts turned to his other roommates and the damage to the house.
“It’s pretty crazy when you walk into the remains of a fire,” he said. “It was just surreal.”
Now, Sajewski is forced to live with friends in East Lansing until the property is fixed. He said his landlord plans on repairing the damage in one or two weeks.
“Our lease is up in August (and) I definitely plan on living there (later),” he said. “It’s only been a few days and I have nowhere to go.”
Kurt Garza, one of the property owners, was not able to be reached for comment Tuesday.
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