CALUMET, Mich. (WJMN) A fire in downtown Calumet that happened overnight Friday into Saturday morning has destroyed multiple buildings.

HOW YOU CAN HELP – UPDATED 4:09pm “We will attempt to keep up with the growing list of fundraisers and opportunities for assistance here. The Salvation Army in Hancock (906)482-3420 is accepting donations on behalf of the displaced both financial or material in nature. Finanical donations should be addressed to the Salvation Army (note Calumet Fire Assistance) and can be sent to or dropped off at the Salvation Army (408 Ravine Street, Hancock, MI 49930) or the AmericInn Calumet. Both organizations are coordinating with the Red Cross to address the short and long term needs of those displaced.

For a list of items needed immediately check the AmericInn facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AmericInn-Calumet-131835913340 and contact Dianne St Amour (906)337-6463 to coordinate what items may still be needed. The Americ Inn is now requesting that physical donations be brought to the Salvation Army in Hancock as they have run out of space due to the outpouring from the community.

Proceeds from the Village of Laurium Roller Skating event at the Gipp will be donated to victims of the fire. If you don’t want to skate you can simply drop off a donation from 5-8pm, today Saturday, May 22. https://www.facebook.com/villageoflaurium/Please feel free to share additional efforts on the Village page or in comments below so we can add them to this post.”

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO HELP UPDATED 5/25 8:30 AM: The following go fund me fundraisers have been set up by and for individuals that have been displaced due to the fire.

Help Cory, Andrew, & I rebuild our lives https://gf.me/v/c/rntl/help-cory-andrew-i-rebuild-our-lives
Calumet 5th Street Fire relief fund https://gf.me/v/c/rntl/calumet-5th-street-fire-relief-fund
Kristin and Rod and daughters Fire https://gf.me/v/c/rntl/kristin-and-rod-and-daughters-fire
Help support James DuLong after fire https://gf.me/v/c/rntl/help-support-james-dulong-after-fire
Help my son Jonathan after a fire https://gf.me/v/c/rntl/sxsss3-help-my-son-jonathan-after-a-fire

The Village of Calumet provided more information on Saturday Afternoon, In a Facebook post, they wrote the following:

“The Village of Calumet experienced a devastating fire in the early morning hours of May 22nd, 2021. Three of our historic buildings were lost in the 100 block of Fifth Street. While these structures are considered a total loss, no lives were lost during the event. The Village is so grateful to the many firefighters from around the Copper Country who attended to our community. We will do our best to keep our residents and concerned community members updated on this situation. Please see the following information;SAFETYCalumet & Laurium are currently under a Boil Water Advisory, as a safety precaution boil water to be used for drinking or cooking for 3-5 minutes prior to use. The advisory is expected to be in place for the next 18-24 hours (approximately noon Sunday, May 23).”

MOVING FORWARD “The loss of 3 buildings in our historic district has been heartbreaking and it’s hard to imagine the 100 Block without them. However, we hope to see this loss as an opportunity for redevelopment. The economic development team in our community has already been working with property owners on assisting in the process of clean up and potential rebuilding or redevelopment of the sites.”

The Houghton Fire Department provided additional details on Saturday. They say the fire started around midnight. The City of Houghton Fire Department along with the following agencies stayed into the morning,

  • Calumet Village Fire Department
  • Calumet Township Fire Department
  • Laurium Village Fire Department
  • Ahmeek Fire Department
  • City of Hancock Fire Department
  • City of Houghton Fire Department
  • Bootjack Fire and Rescue Department
  • Tamarack City Fire Department
  • Hubbell Fire Department
  • Lake Linden Fire Department
  • Dollar Bay Fire Department
  • Quincy-Franklin-Hancock Townships Fire Department
  • Mercy EMS

There will be a special meeting of the Calumet Village Council at 5:00 p.m. on Monday May 24, 2021 at the Calumet Theatre Ballroom. Business owners and people affected by the fire are encouraged to attend, or send comments via email, or be placed on speaker phone.

Neighboring business Copper World, shared video for more than an hour on Facebook live as firefighters worked to contain the flames before more buildings could be claimed.

Main Street Calumet has been posting pictures and updates, now encouraging people displaced by the fire to register with the American Red Cross.

Copper World shared another video on Saturday morning, showing firefighters continuing to spray water over the area affected by the fire.