MONROE CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich —
A beauty school in Monroe Township is still sifting through the ashes after a fire in a neighboring vacant business broke out in July.
The Michigan College of Beauty was once filled with unique and colorful style. Now, it sits black and gray, covered in soot.
"We're lost. Totally feel lost in life," said Tammy Williams, the college's manager.
The flames never actually touched the college, but more than a month later, it still hasn't reopened because of extensive smoke and water damage.
"It's on hold until we get a building to get them into. Right now, this one is unusable at this point," said Christina Collins, the college's educational supervisor.
Collins says hundreds of students are now in limbo, unable to continue their beauty careers until the school can find a new home.
The Monroe Intermediate School District has provided space for the college's high school student population, but they're also out thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment and products.
"Everything had carcinogens all over it. We weren't allowed in the building at all. None of our things made it through. Everything was ruined," Collins said.
The Monroe Township Fire Department believes the fire could have been sparked by homeless individuals, who often camped in the abandoned business unit.
The school's director, Mary Hillberry, says that never interfered with until July, though.
"We have individuals who occasionally are breaking in through the back door and it has happened multiple times over the last several months at least in my experience, where I arrive on site and seen the front door to that property open," Hillberry said.
Now the college is stuck working with insurance and waiting for the damage to be cleared out before it can even think about reopening.
"We can't just go in a salon and say 'can we borrow this for a while?' There's so much involved and this is what's taking the time," Williams said.
The fire is still under investigation. Anyone with information about the cause is asked to call the Monroe Township Fire Department at (734) 241-5501 or the Monroe County Sheriff's Office at 734-240-7400. Reward money may be available.