Michael Howie

MICHIGAN CITY — Firefighters put out a blaze at the vacant former JCPenney store in Marquette Mall on Friday, prompting temporary evacuations of nearby businesses. The fire is now being investigated as a suspicious incident, officials say.

According to a news release from the Michigan City Fire Department on Friday, security personnel alerted firefighters to smoke and flames coming from inside the building, located at 201 U.S. Highway 20. The fire, which firefighters determined originated from a storage room, was put out quickly, officials said — despite the extra challenge that fire crews can face in putting out commercial building fires when sprinkler systems are not active, as was the case on Friday.

No one was injured, fire officials said.

Because the vacant property

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