Brandon Twp.- Firefighters had a busy night last week, as they battled not one, but two house fires.
Fire Chief Bob McArthur said they were called to the first home, 1782 Wooley Road, at 8:23 p.m., March 7. The family at the residence, a husband, wife, and two children, were all outside when the firefighters arrived to find the entire attic space on fire, with flames coming out of the roof. The Oxford Fire Department assisted with manpower and water, of which 6,700 gallons were used.
Firefighters had the fire, which consumed the roof and two bedrooms of the 2,576 square foot home, under control in 45 minutes, but were on the scene about four hours as they did ‘overhaul,? searching for hidden fires in the walls.
The house, valued at $350,000, sustained $275,000 damage to the building, said McArthur, and the loss of contents was estimated to be $250,000. A pet cat was unaccounted for.
A preliminary investigation shows the chimney of a wood stove as the cause of the blaze.
McArthur cautions that citizens need to be careful in using wood for heating.
‘There are appliances designed to heat the house and appliances designed to view a fire,? says McArthur. ‘If it’s a heating appliance, it has to be maintained that way and appropriately. In this economy, everyone is trying to cut corners as much as they can, but remember to be cautious.?
Brandon firefighters had just got back in service when they received another call at 1:26 a.m., March 8, for a house fire at 951 S. Hadley Road. A neighbor discovered the fire on the deck and rear wall of the house. The residents were not at home.
On arrival, firefighters found flames extending into the kitchen of the 2,452 square foot home and were able to extinguish the fire in 15 minutes. Groveland Township firefighters assisted with water, of which 500 gallons were used. A dog and cat were rescued from the home. The house, valued at $250,000, has an estimated $100,000 worth of building damage and contents loss of $80,000.
The fire remains under investigation, but is not suspicious.
The Brandon Fire Department also had a medical emergency call about 5:20 a.m. and treated a patient for diabetes.
‘We got about an hour of sleep and we’re back it today,? McArthur said last Thursday.