Fire officials: No cause determined for fatal Meridian Twp. fire in December

MERIDIAN TWP. — Officials said they've closed the Knob Hill Apartments fire investigation without determining what caused the blaze that killed a resident, displaced dozens of others tenants and destroyed two buildings in December.

Meridian Township Fire Marshal Tavis Millerov said the fire originated on a couch in a "garden-level" apartment. But it's unclear what caused the couch to ignite, he said.

"Although the cause of the fire is undetermined, there were no signs of suspicious activity," Millerov said in a Tuesday evening news release.

The Dec. 21 fire originated in the 2300 building at the housing complex off Knob Hill Drive and spread to the connected 2314 building. Both buildings were total losses.

Raymond Naseef, 52, was killed in the fire. His body was found in a stairwell while fire crews were tearing down the remnants of the building where the fire started, a fire official said previously.

The apartment complex had about a dozen buildings. At least 36 families were displaced by the fire.

The building where the fire originated had not received an official safety inspection in about five years, according to records the Lansing State Journal obtained from Meridian Township through a public records request.

For rental properties with more than eight units, one-third of units are supposed to be inspected annually, a township officials said in early January. But many inspections were delayed in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which created an additional backlog once most pandemic restrictions were lifted and inspections resumed, he said.

There's no indication a problem with the 2300 building contributed to the fire.

Families displaced by the fire have received support from Meridian Township, DTN Management and the community. Meridian reported raising more than $110,000 as of Dec. 27, and DTN has paid for housing for displaced residents. Community members have donated essential items and clothing.

Authorities said they are still accepting tips about the fire even though the investigation is complete. Anyone with information can call the fire department at (517) 853-4700 or police department at (517) 853-4800. They can also submit an anonymous tip through the police department's social media sites.

Contact Ken Palmer atkpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.