Fire destroys Shelby apartment building

January 8, 2026

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Story and photos by Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

SHELBY — Firefighters from half a dozen departments battled a fire that destroyed a multi-unit apartment building at 55 E. Fourth St. Thursday morning, Jan. 8.

The occupants of the two-story building, formerly an office space, escaped the fire unharmed. A dog that lived there also escaped uninjured.

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Firefighters were expected to remain on scene for several hours to extinguish the massive blaze.

The fire drew a large emergency response, including six fire departments — Shelby-Benona, Hart, Grant Township, Ferry Township, Pentwater and Montague. The Grant Township Rehab Unit, Life EMS, Oceana County Emergency Management, Shelby Police Department and the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office also responded.

Christina Trevino, who was at the scene, said her mother lived in one of the apartments but was not home at the time of the blaze. Her mother, Esperanza Rojas, is in Texas visiting family. “I Facetimed her, and she’s pretty bummed, sad and crying,” said Trevino. “Everything she owns was in there.”

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Tenant Jose Rosas said the fire originated in a different apartment, so he did not know how it started. Rosas said a total of six people lived in the building.

At the scene was Karicia Gonzalez, who is the daughter of the building’s owner, Melinda Gonzalez. Karicia said Melinda is currently on vacation in Mexico. She did not immediately know if the building was insured. “I woke up this morning and got a call that the house is burning down. It’s not a good way to wake up, but I’m happy that my tenants came out safe.” She said the fire originated on the north side of the structure.

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The cause of the fire, which was dispatched around 9 a.m., is not immediately known.

Oceana County Emergency Manager Troy Maloney said the building is a total loss.

The American Red Cross was being called to assist the displaced tenants.

Firefighters from three of the responding departments — Hart, Pentwater and Shelby-Benona — responded to a fire on Apple Street in Hart the previous night. “It was a (clothes) dryer fire in the basement,” said Maloney, who is also a firefighter and public information officer for the Hart Area Fire Department. “We contained it to the area of origin.” The single-story house was saved, but sustained some smoke damage, he said. “They had a very good stop on that last night.”

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