Fire spreads from porch, causes significant damage to Lodi Township home

By Art Aisner AnnArbor.com Freelance Journalist

Posted on Fri, Dec 10, 2010 : 4 p.m.

A Lodi Township family was forced from their home by a porch fire that extended indoors Thursday night, Saline Area Fire Chief Craig Hoeft said.

A resident was walking into the kitchen when he saw flames on the porch of the house in the 7000 block of Ellsworth Road at about 10:45 p.m., Hoeft said. The family evacuated safely before firefighters arrived and no injuries were reported.

Hoeft said the entire large wooden porch was on fire when they arrived and the flames extended into the front of the home. Firefighters extinguished the flames quickly, but Hoeft said they had to check through several walls to see if the fire had spread further. There was significant smoke throughout the house, and damage was listed at about $50,000.

Hoeft said the cause was accidental and that investigators are checking into the possibility that malfunctioning holiday lights may have played a role.

Pittsfield Township firefighters covered the city of Saline during the blaze.

Tags: fire,