Photo by Joanie Moore

"I saw smoke, and then some flames," he said. "I grabbed as much stuff as I could after calling 911 and got out."

Lutz said he, along with a passer-by that saw the fire and stopped to assist, hauled out a file cabinet and several tools. Lutz later said he hoped they would be able to recover and save some of the tools that were inside. The building, however, was declared a total loss.Ê

Coldsprings Excelsior, Kalkaska Township and Clearwater Fire Departments fought the blaze, and no injuries were reported. The cause remains under investigation.