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ESCANABA -- A man who died in a downtown Escanaba fire on Jan. 24 has been identified. The Escanaba Department of Public Safety identified the man as Randy Hughes, 52, of Escanaba. Public Safety said the victim's family has been notified but declined to release further information.
The cause and origin of the blaze are still under investigation.
Escanaba Public Safety thanked the Michigan State Police Crime Lab for its assistance in identifying Hughes.
The Jan. 24 fire destroyed Trinkets & Treasures, 1011 Ludington Street, and neighboring Schwalbach Kitchens. Both buildings are being considered total losses. Other nearby buildings, like the building which housed East Ludington Gallery, were damaged. The East Ludington Gallery building suffered interior smoke and water damage inside and a large crack has formed on one of the building' exterior walls. The artwork inside the store was damaged.
Currently, nothing remains at the fire scene but a large pile of rubble roped off with police tape.
The blaze was reported shortly before 2 a.m. on Jan. 24. Firefighters were on the scene for about 12 hours and discovered Hughes' body in the ruins shortly before noon.
When officers arrived at the scene they entered nearby buildings and advised residents to evacuate. It was brought to officers' attention that not all individuals in the apartment above Trinkets & Treasures were accounted for.
Not long after, the building collapsed.
The cause and origin of the fire have yet to be determined. According to Escanaba Public Safety Director John Gudwer, the extensive damage has made pinpointing the cause and origin of the fire difficult.