Fire deaths in Michigan have been increasing. Mike McLeieer, with the fire prevention group ESCAPE, says the state is one of the deadliest in the country when it comes to fires, tying Alabama with 19 killed in the month of January.
McLeieer says the rise in Michigan has been a trend over the past five years. Last year was the first time Michigan hit the triple digit fire fatality rate in decades.
The data comes from the US Fire Administration. McLeieer blames the statistic on a lack of cooperation between firefighting agencies around the state.
He says there should be a statewide partnership to create a fire prevention and safety campaign.