Warren firefighters run live-fire drills at Halmich Park through Oct. 22, so expect smoke near 13 Mile

WARREN, Mich. — Smoke rising over Halmich Park this week and next is part of a drill, not an emergency, the city says.

The Warren Fire Department is holding controlled live-fire search-and-rescue training in the park’s north parking lot, 3001 E. 13 Mile Road, according to a city news release issued Oct. 13. The training started Wednesday and continues Thursday and Friday, Oct. 15 and 16, then Monday, Oct. 19, Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Thursday, Oct. 22. Each session runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The north lot is closed to the public on those days so residents and firefighters stay safe, the release says.

People who live or play nearby may see smoke, and some of it may linger around the park, the city says. Residents do not need to call 911 to report it. The city suggests neighbors close their windows to keep the smell out of their homes.

The drills use a live-fire burn box, which lets firefighters go into a structure in full protective gear and practice under conditions close to a real fire, according to the release. Crews push through heat and smoke in near-total darkness to find a person who has been overcome and cannot get out alone. At the same time, other crews work their way in to find the fire and put it out, timing the attack with the rescue to give the victim the best chance of surviving, the city says.

Questions or concerns about the training can go to the fire commissioner at 586-756-2800, according to the release.

Sources:
City of Warren, news release, “Live Fire Search and Rescue Training in the North parking lot of Halmich Park,” Oct. 13, 2026, https://www.cityofwarren.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Press-Release-Live-Fire-Search-and-Rescue-Training-in-the-North-parking-lot-of-Halmich-Park.pdf
Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sebastian Portieleslopez, “Firefighters conduct structural live fire training (9040291).jpg,” May 2025, Wikimedia Commons, public domain, cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Firefighters_conduct_structural_live_fire_training_(9040291).jpg

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