Storms cause fatal traffic crash in Dexter Township, fires that injure two firefighters
Two firefighters were injured in this blaze in York Township, which officials say started after lightning struck the house.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
A line of fast-moving thunderstorms that swept through Washtenaw County was blamed for one death and at least three fires Friday night - including one blaze that injured two firefighters.
The fatality occurred in Dexter Township at about 9:30 p.m. when a van crashed into a tree that had fallen over the roadway on North Territorial Road near Madden Road, Washtenaw County sheriff's spokesman Derrick Jackson said.
The driver, a 47-year-old Stockbridge woman, was westbound on North Territorial and apparently didn't see the large tree that had fallen across the roadway, Jackson said. It was dark and raining at the time.
The woman's full-sized van crashed into the tree, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her 11-year-old daughter was in the car and was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries, Jackson said.
Lightning was believed to be responsible for fires in York Township, Lodi Township and Scio Township. In addition, the storms were responsible for the partial collapse of a building near Whitmore Lake, which injured one person, said Marc Breckenridge of the county's emergency management division.
Video by reader Robert Campbell of storm damage in Scio Township
6-18-10 Storm Damage 1 from Robert Campbell on Vimeo.
A Pittsfield Township firefighter was injured about 11:15 p.m. when he fell through the floor of a home on McKendry Drive, near Willis and Platt roads, in York Township, Pittsfield Public Safety Director Matt Harshberger said.
The family escaped the fire when the father heard the lightning strike, checked the house and discovered a fire in the basement, Jackson said. The family got out before firefighters arrived.
Harshberger said Pittsfield firefighters responded to the McKendry Drive fire to cover for Saline firefighters, who were on another fire call. He said the large house was struck by lightning, and firefighters from several departments were called to assist.
A firefighter fell through the floor into the basement and was rescued by other firefighters, Harshberger said. He and one other firefighter were transported to the hospital for evaluation, and a third firefighter was evaluated at the scene, Harshberger said. The injuries were believed to be minor.
Firefighters evacuated the home and fought the fire from the outside, Harshberger said.
Araceli Miranda, who lives across the street from the home, said she was doing the dishes when she heard a "humongous bang" that shook the house.
"It was the kind of noise that makes your heart beat real fast," she said. "It sounded like lightning struck close."
Miranda said she heard firefighters arrive several minutes later, but didn't immediately see that the house across the street was on fire until flames became visible in the front. She watched as the fire appeared to be out several times, then started back up.
Miranda, who moved to the subdivision a year ago, said she was praying for her neighbors, whose home was destroyed.
"As long as they're safe, everything else can be replaced," she said.
A family escaped from their Scio Township home when it caught fire following a lightning strike, Breckenridge said. Several departments were battling that blaze in a subdivision off Huron River Drive and Wagner Road. No one was believed to be injured.
Another fire, also believed to be caused by lightning, occurred in Lodi Township on Duible Road. Saline firefighters were still at the scene of that fire at 1 a.m. waiting for utility crews. No one was injured, but further details weren't available.
The building collapse occurred near Horseshoe Lake and injured one person, who was transported to the hospital by ambulance, Breckenridge said. No additional details were available.
The storms also caused the Ann Arbor Summer Festival to call off Friday's Top of the Park activities early, and some attendees sought shelter in the University of Michigan's Rackham Building and Modern Languages Building.
More than 100,000 customers in southeast Michigan were without electrical service due to fallen power lines after the storms packing high winds moved across the state.
Consumers Energy said more than 57,000 customers were without power Friday night, with Kalamazoo and Jackson counties the hardest hit. DTE Energy Co. said about 50,000 of its customers lost power.
The county emergency management division measured wind gusts up to 65 mph.
Washtenaw County police agencies reported multiple calls of trees and wires down in roadways, especially in the Dexter area.
Robert Campbell, a resident of Scio Farms Estates in Scio Township, said the entrance experienced significant storm damage, including several trees blocking the entrance and exit in the front.
Campbell, who also runs the website for the homeowners association, said the clean-up took more than three hours, and he kept residents informed using their resident alert system.
"When you have squall type storms like this, it's very sporadic and really severe in some areas," Breckenridge said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments
eden
Mon, Jul 25, 2011 : 6:54 p.m.
im the daughter of the woman who died in the car accident above. first i want to thank everyone who cares. i am now 12 and this story is not right. Kayla was right..the tree fell on the driver side of the car. which caused the death of my mother. if you want the full and correct story look this up on Google...."sheriffs department reports crash victims daughter "doing ok" and click the first one that comes up. just so you guys know "David archer" is the man who held my hand when i trapped in the van before the police and fire people got there. im going to tell you the ages and names in order of my family starting with the youngest. (Zion) 5, (Hazen) 9, (me) 12, (Logan) 15, (Cayman) 18, (Brendon) 20. and my dad is almost 50. Thank you again everyone for caring. love eden.
Jessica
Wed, Jun 30, 2010 : 2:12 p.m.
A subdivision without fire hydrants??!!! Whose brilliant idea was that?
kayla
Thu, Jun 24, 2010 : 10:20 a.m.
The tree did fall on her car! i know this for a fact because she was my aunt who passes away!:(
Rasputin
Wed, Jun 23, 2010 : 10:44 a.m.
That is not a house, that is a McMansion!
kayla
Tue, Jun 22, 2010 : 6:18 p.m.
ok the story of the woman who died is all wrong because this woman is my aunt and the daughter is my cousin! I know the story and this is not the entire story because there is more and wrong parts in this story. If you were wondering the young girl is has 5 other siblings and a father. The youngest sibling is 5 and the oldest is 20. She is now also the only girl in her family.
Jeremy
Tue, Jun 22, 2010 : 12:13 p.m.
Cheryl Rose
Moms Kitchen
Tue, Jun 22, 2010 : 5:48 a.m.
What is the woman's name that died?
Jeremy
Mon, Jun 21, 2010 : 2:28 p.m.
The woman killed in the accident was my aunt and the 11 year old girl is my cousin. She has a father, six brothers and one sister. The oldest child is 26 and the youngest is 3. The family has pulled together and with support from friends and neighbors will make it through this tragic event. My aunt was a wonderful person and an exceptional mother. She will be missed by everyone who knew her. Her love and strength will be with her children always. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers everyone, they are appreciated.
AlphaAlpha
Sun, Jun 20, 2010 : 7:07 p.m.
Thank you Mr. Dearing for the response. Must have been in one of the other deleted comments...
AACity12
Sun, Jun 20, 2010 : 9:53 a.m.
I wonder why AA.com continually fails to report things that happen within AA. No mention of the fire within the city limits that took every fire appartus to contain and injured one firefighter. It was due to a down power line that landed on the roof of a house. Why is that Amalie? This is AnnArbor.com isn't it? Maybe it wasn't as news worthy because the fire crews did an excellent job and were able to save the house from total destruction.
Robert
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 6:29 p.m.
A carport was ripped right off a manufactured home in Scio Farms. The roof of the home looks severly damaged with exposed rafters and an uneven roofline. It looks as if the storm lifted the carport right up over another home and deposited it in the woods. There is also shingle damage, siding damage, and several homes have blown out skirting.
AlphaAlpha
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 6:19 p.m.
The removed comment contained a brief reference to a competitor of A2.com. The entire comment was not inappropriate, and it was not off topic. Mr. Dearing, I would respectfully suggest you make things right. You deserve better than this.
Soothslayer
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 4:12 p.m.
I feel bad for the family. Another McMansion out in the middle of nowhere (at lest removed from utilities that may have helped save it like a FIRE HYDRANT) bites the dust. Wondering what caught fire in the basement or perhaps the circuit breaker got the primaries fused from the ground arc.
Laura
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 11:44 a.m.
JGS's comment was that people should think about the tragic loss suffered last night by a little girl on a dark road in Dexter Twp, not the type of vehicle being driven or blaming the driver. He, very politely, took to task comments by someone who seemed to miss that point. It was well written and I cant believe it was taken down.
stunhsif
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 11:07 a.m.
I was on the way home last night ( I live on Platt Road) and noticed the sky was lit up as if it were daytime. When I saw the house on fire it was obvious it was a complete loss. Glad the family is safe, hope they didn't lose any pets in the fire.
krc
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 10:28 a.m.
I'm assuming no news is good news that there was no damage to any homes in Scio Farms? Also, if anyone else has the comcast home page, at the bottom of it the 'news for 48108' seems to indicate that lighning struck and caused fire in a high rise building that houses elderly, infirm and low income tenants. This is not so. That fire started in one of the apartments.
nemo
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 10:23 a.m.
If that "off-topic" comment that was removed is the one by JGS that people keep mentioning, then perhaps it was more "on-topic" than you think.
OutCold
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.
The firefighters in the above picture are relegated to 'stand around' because the subdivision does not have fire hydrants. They had to rely on pumper trucks which came from all surrounding communities for a water source. This photo was taken after the two firefighters were injured in the blaze as well, so their approach to the situation had changed with the dangerous in-house conditions.
63Townie
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 9:21 a.m.
Geez, leave it to the first person to comment to take a story about severe weather damage and turn it into a "what are the fire fighters doing?" discussion. My heart goes out to the family who lost a loved one. The tragedy is a painful reminder that driving in a car is not a safe thing to do during severe weather.
djm12652
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 9:05 a.m.
Such a sad accident for the family and the child. My prayers are with them and I hope the firefighters recover quickly.
memyselfandi
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 9:04 a.m.
Great comments....JGS, dextermom and Laura Jones. I'm glad to see the edification by JGS regarding Carley. Sometimes as humans, folks forget to see the forest because of the trees. dextermom and Laura Jones have stimulated my interest regarding lightning rods, a subject, of which, I have little knowledge. I do have a friend who has a lightening rod, and despite its existence, lightening often strikes her home and destroys various electrical products inside her home.
Chris Goosman
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 9:04 a.m.
http://www.dteenergy.com/map/zipCodeOutageMap.pdf is the link to the DTE outage map. A good one to bookmark this time of year.
Laura
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 8:39 a.m.
First off everyone should have to read the comment by JGS well said. Really sad accident, especially sad for the little girl who lost her mother. Lightning rods are fine if you ground them right but that can be asking a lot sometimes. Modern houses skip them assuming their grounded circuits will carry the load as the lightening runs the wires - and when they are not correctly grounded, well, you get a fire (or if it skips the circuits and runs something else). On the other side, if you skip the lightening rod, when you house is struck, the path is random and so is the result. I think the lightening rod makes more sense.
dextermom
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 8:26 a.m.
Can't say I'm an expert or anything, but... We live in the Village in Dexter. Our home was hit by lightning several years ago, luckily burning out some of the wiring but not causing anything like the fire in the article. When we looked into lightning rods, we were told NOT to attach one to our house, that if we wanted one (which we were discouraged to get), it should be attached to an outbuilding, not attached to the house.
sailor67
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 8:10 a.m.
Sorry eone, but (with the exception of the two guys on the far right who are in full PPE including SCBA) most of those guys are not "Staged" for anything. They are all in the hot zone and several are in the collapse zone without full PPE. It looks like they've gone defensive, but there's no aerial apparatus or monitors set-up. The large diameter (supply) line is flat - so maybe they're waiting for water.... but they're just spectators at this point. Hopefully the injured firefighters will be OK and the homeowners are insured.
nemo
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 8 a.m.
Lightning rods are supposed to stop these fires from happening, but modern houses don't have them anymore, not even TV antennae with ground wire. I realize the electrical systems have newer technology, but it seems that the lightning protection standards need to be reexamined and upgraded. To see a McMansion in the middle of a former cornfield with no trees around it, is to see lightning bait.
ummsw
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 7:35 a.m.
Go to DTE's home page and you will find an outage map..
Robert
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 7:30 a.m.
Here is a link to video footage of the storm damage at Scio Farms, located in Scio Township. http://vimeo.com/12691410
eone
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 7:11 a.m.
firefighters are standing around in a mode called staging, to replace the firefighters presently inside fighting the fire. when the inside people run out of air they come out and the "standers" go in. the law says for every two firefighters inside you must have two outside,"law"
David Cahill
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 6:58 a.m.
How about a link to the DTE Energy power outage map?
Robert
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 6:38 a.m.
A photo album of the damage at Scio Farms may be viewed from the Scio Farms HOA website. Here is the URL that will take you directly to the album: https://sites.google.com/a/sciofarmshoa.org/scio-farms-hoa/photo-album/6-18-10-storm
OutCold
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 6:17 a.m.
The firefighters in the above picture are relegated to 'stand around' because the subdivision does not have fire hydrants. They had to rely on pumper trucks which came from all surrounding communities for a water source. This photo was taken after the two firefighters were injured in the blaze as well, so their approach to the situation had changed with the dangerous in-house conditions.
jeepinkev
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 4:57 a.m.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the 11 year old and her family. DetroitNews.com says it was a Man that was killed in the crash and that the tree fell on tha car. Just sayin...
Carly
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 3:51 a.m.
I hope everyone with an SUV reads this and realizes they are not above being cautious when the weather is bad. SLOW DOWN - this could happen to you! My heart goes out to the 11 year-old who now has to live with this trauma.
yohan
Sat, Jun 19, 2010 : 1:53 a.m.
OK, I don't know much about fighting fires so I am going to reserve judgment but can somebody explain why, in the picture above, all those firefighters are standing around while somebody's house burns? Did they run out of water? Or is something else going on?