GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Kalamazoo police say a fire at a Planned Parenthood of Michigan office was set on purpose.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety released a surveillance photo showing the suspect, who was wearing a black baseball cap, camouflage jacket, dark pants and blue medical mask. He was carrying a dark backpack.
The fire started around 4:10 p.m. Sunday at the Planned Parenthood on West Michigan Avenue near S. Drake Road. First responders were able to get the fire out in under 10 minutes, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said in a release.
Damage was minor and limited to the outside of the building.
The clinic was closed when the fire started and no one was hurt.
In a Monday statement released before KDPS announced the fire was arson, Planned Parenthood of Michigan said its alarm systems appeared to have worked properly and it thanked firefighters for their quick response. It also said it “remain(ed) committed to serving our patients — no matter what.”
“A fire occurred at Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s Kalamazoo health center located at 4201 W. Michigan Avenue on the afternoon of Sunday, July 31. As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our patients and staff, and we are grateful that no one was hurt. The health center was closed at the time of the fire, our alarm systems worked as intended, and Kalamazoo Public Safety responded immediately. The building sustained minimal damage.
“We are grateful for the response of local firefighters and are fully cooperating with the authorities as they assess the cause of the fire. Planned Parenthood of Michigan is a leading provider of high-quality, affordable reproductive and sexual health care and education, and we remain committed to serving our patients — no matter what.”
Planned Parenthood of Michigan President and CEO Paula Thornton Greear
Kalamazoo police say they are working with local and federal investigators. Anyone with information about the fire or who the suspect may be is asked to contact KDPS at 269.337.8120 or Silent Observer at 269.343.2100.
*Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the day the fire happened. It was Sunday. We regret the error, which has been fixed.