Village Manager Ian Lewis said that the fire was discovered at 3:30 a.m. as DPW personnel were arriving for their shift.

“Our village mechanic came in, saw smoke coming out of the building, immediately called 9-1-1 and notified the fire departments,” Lewis said.

Fire departments from Laurium, Calumet Township and Calumet Village arrived shortly.

Lewis said he couldn’t comment on the loss of equipment at this time.

Smoke pours out of the Village of Laurium DPW garage following an early morning fire Wednesday. The cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. (Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette)

“Everything is still being looked at,” he said, “but what is housed in the building is everything from sanitation equipment to all of the snow removal equipment.”

Included in the list, said Lewis, are loaders, graders, sanders, dump trucks, and the sanitation truck.

John Galbraith, village trustee, and Public Safety and Street/Equipment/Sanitation committees member, said all the village’s equipment was in the building, but only the sanitation truck and a truck with a cherry picker were able to be removed.

Lewis said the blaze will have a substantial impact on the village. However, the village government has already reached out to community managers throughout the Upper Peninsula.

“I think we’re going to come together,” Lewis said, “and we’re going to come back even stronger once we get a handle on the situation.”

Village Trustee Jenn Jenich-Laplander said the response from the community has been “Super supportive already, with several local organizations on scene to support the firefighters.

“Salvation Army, Aspirus Keweenaw, Tadychic’s Market Place Foods, of Houghton, and McDonald’s of Houghton, all provided food, coffee and snacks for the firefighters,” she said.