6 departments battle house fire; no one injured

January 3, 2015

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By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

CLAYBANKS TWP. — Six fire departments, including Shelby-Benona, Grant, Ferry, Hart, Hesperia and Montague, battled a structure fire at 5173 W. Stony Lake Rd. Saturday afternoon, Jan. 3. No one was injured in the blaze that apparently destroyed the fire 2home owned by Robert Samuels.

Samuels said he had just gotten home at approximately 3 p.m. and saw smoke coming from the back of the house. He ran inside and saved the family dog, a shih tzu, and ran back out. It appears the home, which was insured, is a total loss as firefighters were still battling the large blaze after 4 p.m. Pentwater Fire Department was toned out for backfill for other departments, and Oceana EMS was on scene for standby. Red Cross was later called to the scene. Stony Lake Road was closed in the vicinity of the fire.

Extremely slick road conditions caused by wet, steady snowfall increased response times, firefighters at the scene said.

fire -1Samuels said he notified firefighters that firearms and ammunition were inside the home for their safety, and the guns were removed from the home.

“I’m just glad my family’s OK,” he said. He and his family have lived in the 1,500-square-foot house for 21 years. It was built in the built early 1960s, he said. He lived in the home with wife Brenda and daughter Darci, who were at a Shelby High School basketball game at the time of the fire.

Samuels said he was not sure how the fire started but suspects it may have been caused by a pellet stove at the back of the house.

 

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