UPDATE 1/9/24 12:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, Cheboygan officials provided an update on the Tissue Depot site:
Over the course of the next week, the remaining 55,000-square-foot portion of the Tissue Depot warehouse will be demolished by the contractors.
In order to ensure the public’s safety, Main, Taylor and Huron streets may be closed for short periods of time.
Once the standing structure is demolished, work will continue on the removal of debris and the remaining parts of the structure. When traveling near the site, please be careful.
10/31/23 2:15 p.m.
The City of Cheboygan is temporarily closing northbound Huron St. between Taylor and Seymour Streets due to concerns over the stability of the Tissue Depot’s west wall.
10/18/23 5:42 p.m.
We might never know the exact cause of the fire at the Tissue Depot in Cheboygan. The Cheboygan Fire Chief, Don Dailey said the cause of the fire that broke out back in September has been determined as undetermined.
The fire sent thick black clouds of smoke into the sky, causing some evacuations and closing down a handful of businesses and schools over air quality concerns. Main Street still remains closed between Seymour and Taylor as crews continue to clean up debris.
10/17/23 9:30 a.m.
The City of Cheboygan said that on Monday morning, crews started preparing the site around the conveyor belt over Main Street at the Cheboygan Tissue Depot for removal. The structure will be removed over the next several days, and people are being asked to give the crews the space they need to complete the project.
Protective fencing still remains around the remains of the warehouse building to keep everyone in the community as safe as possible.
9/18/23 5:30 p.m.
The city of Cheboygan has had the remaining standing structures of the tissue depot evaluated by a city civil engineer who said the storage building is deemed unstable except for the south wall and parts of the east and west wall, and that the conveyer bridge over main St. is deemed unstable.
The city said that all of the structures deemed unstable will have to be taken down, and until that happens Main Street will be closed to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
9/15/23 4:50 p.m.
The Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office said that the fire at the Tissue Depot has been put out, but the fire department will continue monitoring the area for flare ups.
They said the booms in the Cheboygan River have also been removed and all the debris is collected.
The sheriff’s office is still warning caution of eating any of the fish caught in this area of the river as testing for heavy metals is still in progress, and the results will be coming sometime next week. The sheriff’s office also said they all tests for asbestos in and around the fire site have come back negative.]
Fencing will be put up over the weekend, and the sheriff’s office is saying that everyone is required to stay out of the fenced area. According to the sheriff’s office cleanup of Main Street will take place over the weekend to allow the businesses on the south side of the plant to open, but the Main Street area going between the plants will remain closed as the conveyer crossover connecting the two plants is unstable.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
9/15/23 1:45 p.m.
The Cheboygan Lock and Dam, managed by the DNR, reopened Friday after being closed for two days due to a fire at the nearby Tissue Depot.
9/14/23 5:40 p.m.
Department of Health and Human Services is providing a hotline for anyone with questions concerning air quality or ground quality related to the Tissue Depot fire. Call 1-800-MITOXIC.
9/14/23 1:30 p.m.
The shelter in place order has been lifted, but road closures around the fire remain in effect. Please continue to avoid the area.
9/14/23 12 p.m.
Cheboygan city, county and EPA officials held a press conference on Thursday morning to discuss air quality concerns around the Tissue Depot fire.
The EPA says they have been monitoring air quality all night and are asking people to stay indoors just a little while longer – until 1:30 p.m. Thursday – due to potentially toxic fumes from the fire.
Nearby businesses were closed and there were also some evacuations on Wednesday, but officials say those people are back in their homes now. Some schools in Cheboygan were closed on Thursday.
The Tissue Depot says no one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported. Nearby businesses were closed and there were also some evacuations, but officials say those people are back in their homes now.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
9/13/23 10:40 p.m.
The Cheboygan Count Sheriff’s Office said that the shelter in place will remain in affect until 1:30 p.m. Sept. 14, and that the EPA will continue to monitor air quality throughout the night. They also said that representatives from the city, county and the EPA will be meeting at 10 a.m. Sept. 14 to analyze the data and brief the public after.
Fire departments have been battling a massive fire that has been burning at the Tissue Depot in Cheboygan for most of Wednesday.
The fire is still burning and releasing fumes that are possibly toxic, which is what prompted a shelter in place order.
Nobody was inside the building at the time of the fire, and there are no reports of injuries at this time.
There is a large emergency response, which lead to the closure of several roads and many others blocked off with police tape.
Officials also had to close down multiple businesses and evacuate people from buildings.
Firefighters say it will take days to put out the hot spots.
9/13/23 3:05 p.m.
A civil authority has issued a shelter in place warning for the city of Cheboygan. It is effective until 1:36 p.m. Sept. 14 and is due to poor air quality.
Officials advise sheltering in place and closing all windows. Additional details to come.
9/13/23 2:10 p.m.
All lanes of M-27 (Main St.) between Lincoln Ave. and Nelson St. are closed as crews fight the fire. Please avoid the area.
9/13/23 1:20 p.m.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has temporarily closed the Cheboygan Lock and Dam due to the fire across from the facility.
9/13/23 12:30 p.m.
Michigan State Police say the Tissue Depot in Cheboygan is on fire. Several roads are closed while emergency responders battle the blaze.
They ask everyone to please avoid the area. We will have more information on this active situation as soon as possible.
Fire at Tissue Depot in Cheboygan
Fire at Tissue Depot in Cheboygan
Tissue depot fire in Cheboygan. By Tom Palmer
