The acrid smell of smoke lingered over the Music Hall Center for Performing Arts even late into the afternoon after an early morning fire broke out on the 6th floor bringing out Detroit firefighters and shutting down traffic near the busy 36th District Court early Monday morning (Aug. 31).
Early in the AM, fire trucks had blocked thoroughfares with drivers needing to turn the wrong-way down the area’s one-way streets. The fire, at the historic building, thankfully was not a major blaze. According to one building employee, who declined to be named, the fire was allegedly electric and was confined to one office on the 6th floor and was quickly contained. The floor did sustain smoke and water damage.
According to the Detroit News, Detroit Fire Department spokesperson Corey McIsaac confirmed the fire was on the 6th floor, she said. “Upon arrival, smoke and flames were showing from the 6th floor,” McIsaac said in a statement.
The fire is under investigation, McIsaac said.
That same employee noted that it was “good” that the Hall had just finished two major shows this past weekend and doesn’t have any shows immediately in the main hall, although no information is available for how any shows at the smaller Aretha Franklin Jazz Café may be affected.
Head Building Engineer, Mike McClendon, looked exhausted and would only comment, “I wasn’t expecting this on a Monday morning.”
The Music Hall for Performing Arts is a historic performing arts landmark. Founded in 1928, Music Hall has evolved from a premier live theater venue into Detroit’s only venue presenting a full spectrum of the performing arts—music, dance, and theater—while preserving its historic legacy and serving as a vibrant hub for local, national, and international talent.
On the 5th floor of the Hall, there is the Julius V. Combs Music Hall Archive Gallery. This free, immersive exhibit on the 5th floor is open weekdays 10am–6pm and during shows, the gallery highlights nine decades of performers, events, and unforgettable moments.
“Step off the vintage elevator into a journey through Detroit’s performing arts history — explore decade-by-decade or dive into digital exhibits on dance, stage plays, or jazz,” the website notes, “Sit in plush red velvet for a CINERAMA throwback, try the conductor’s podium, or peek into a 1928 dressing room.”
Following the fire, the Music Hall released a statement writing, “We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous amount of support and concern from everyone in the Detroit community following this morning’s fire at Music Hall. It was confined to a storage room on the top floor and in no way effected the Main Hall or Aretha’s Jazz Cafe. We also want to thank the Detroit Fire Department for its tremendous and immediate response. The fire has been extinguished, and our team is now inspecting the building for any water damage. Music Hall has been part of Detroit for nearly a century, and we know how much this historic building means to everyone. We will provide additional information as we learn more, but all shows will go on as scheduled.”
According to Detroit News reporting the fire at the Music Hall was the second incident that required a speedy fire response. The paper reports that at about 8:45 a.m., Detroit Fire Department responded to a call about a suspicious device at John King Books on Lafayette Boulevard, according to Senior Chief Darnell McLaurin.
“DFD responded with Hazmat and fire personnel, and spoke with the citizen, who is a staffer at John King and found a bottle of crystallized Picric Acid while she was cleaning over the weekend,” McLaurin said in a statement. “She had studied chemistry at WSU and realized it may be unstable. She says they collect antiques in addition to books, and this bottle was part of that collection. She put it outside over the weekend.
Bomb squad technicians retrieved the bottle and cleared the scene.
