1 dead following Ludington apartment fire.

UPDATE at 10:28 p.m.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — One person is dead and another injured following an apartment fire Monday night. Benjamin Wolff, 29, was pronounced dead at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital shortly after 8 p.m., less than an hour after the fire department arrived on scene, according to Ludington Police Chief Mark Barnett.

Pamela Arthur, 46, also an occupant in the same apartment, was transported to a Grand Rapids hospital and is in stable condition, Barnett said.

Ludington Fire Department was called to a structure fire at 302 N. Rowe Street at 7:07 p.m. The fire was discovered by tenant Kerri Hargett, who lives on the second floor of the two apartment house. Hargett was at home with her boyfriend, Michael Lashore.

“We were sitting in the living room watching TV when I started smelling smoke,” Hargett said. “I went into the hallway and I could tell the smoke was coming from downstairs.” Hargett said she went downstairs and saw a flash inside the house. Lashore then called 911 while Hargett grabbed her cat and they got out of the house.

Barnet said the victims were discovered after the fire was knocked down by firefighters. He said Arthur was found laying in the living room of the front apartment and Wolff was found in a bedroom.

“Both victims were removed from the apartment and treated at the scene and then transported to Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital,” Barnett said. Firefighters were seen performing CPR on one of the victims.

The house is located on the northeast corner of Rowe and Pere Marquette streets. Fire Chief Jerry Funk said the fire started in the kitchen of the house and that the fire department was able to extinguish the fire quickly.

A Michigan State Police fire investigator- will conduct an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire Tuesday, Barnett said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday to determine Wolff’s cause of death. His family has been notified about the death by authorities. 

Ludington police Det. J.B. Wells and Officer Aaron Sailor are leading the investigation.  Anyone having any information related to the fire is asked to contact them at 231-843-3425.  Also responding to the scene were Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Life EMS and Michigan State Police.