Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A devastating fire roared through Downtown Holly Tuesday, destroying buildings and damaging others.

Dozens of firefighters from area departments battled the blaze which started around 4pm Tuesday. The extreme heat and strong winds fueled the fire, which spread quickly.

Crews worked through the night to extinguish the blaze and remained on scene putting out hot spots. Officials were also conducting walk-throughs today to assess the damage.

Although an official cause has not yet been determined, an electrical issue near a storage room at Battle Alley Arcade Antiques could be to blame. That building and Andy’s Place were said to be destroyed while the historic Holly Hotel and Moose Lodge were severely damaged, along with other buildings.

Jon Ruthenbeck, a member of the Oakland County Incident Management Team, said about a half-dozen structures suffered flame or smoke damage.

First responders and firefighters from almost 20 municipalities assisted on the scene. About a half-dozen people, including five firefighters, required medical treatment for heat exhaustion or injury.