Adrian dialysis center destroyed by fire

12/22/2006

ADRIAN - A dialysis medical center was destroyed by a five-alarm fire last night, authorities said.

The blaze started about 5:40 p.m. at FMC Dialysis on West Lakeshire Trail across the street from Bixby Medical Center.

The blaze destroyed the roughly 10,000-square-foot building, but a damage estimate was not available, said Colby Averill, an investigator with the Adrian Fire Department.

The cause of the fire was unknown last night, and the state fire marshal's office was called in to help investigate, he said.

Flames, which were pouring through a window when firefighters arrived, spread quickly throughout the building, Mr. Averill said. "It was showing out one office window and moved into the attic space and from there it just went full into the attic," he said.

No one was hurt, and no other buildings were damaged.

Lakeshire and Kimole Lane were closed to traffic as firefighters battled the blaze, which took about two hours to get under control, Mr. Averill said.

Lindsey McNeill, a spokesman for Bixby Medical Center, said the dialysis center is not affiliated with the hospital or ProMedica Health System.

She said flames could be seen from the hospital and that smoke surrounded the campus, but the hospital was not affected. Ambulances were redirected around the blocked roads, she said.

The closest known dialysis center is about 10 miles away in Tecumseh, Mich., Mr. Averill said.

Firefighters from Adrian Township, Madison Township, Palmyra Township, and Raisin Township assisted battling the blaze.