INDEPENDENCE TWP., Mich. (WXYZ) — One man was hospitalized for smoke inhalation after a fire destroyed a home on Middle Lake Road in Independence Township Monday evening, marking the third house fire in the area in just one week.
Fire Chief David Piche said his department has been unusually busy recently with the string of fires. The fire chief said this was the third fire his department has responded to in one week.
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"Not very typical for a suburban department but obviously it happened for us," Piche said.
The fire started in the garage, where crews say the homeowner attempted to fight the blaze with a garden hose before calling 911. Two vehicles were in the garage, with at least one completely destroyed.
"Homeowner said there was some popping noises but we haven't confirmed that yet," Piche said.
Both the homeowner and his wife were home when the fire broke out. The male homeowner was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but everyone made it out safely, including the couple's cat.
"Everyone's okay, husband and his wife were home. There was a cat in the house and the cat got saved and then we had crews from various communities helping us out here today," Piche said.
Long-time neighbor Margareth Shubert witnessed the fire unfold while she was enjoying the holiday in her backyard. She has known the couple for decades and said they have lived in the home for more than 30 years.
"I was sitting in the backyard and I saw Sue come out of her sliding glass door and the door to the garage was open and she started yelling for her husband, call 911, call the fire department and went from there," Shubert said.
"I can't believe it, it's like a nightmare, just like a nightmare," she said.
As investigators work to determine what sparked the blaze, Piche thanked the nearby departments that helped respond to the call.
"We depend on mutual aid quite a bit so, everybody did a great job and we're glad the homeowners are safe. A house is a house but it's all about being safe and keeping people from injury," Piche said.
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