2 residents escape as fire destroys home
One dog is believed to have been killed and a firefighter was burned during a fire at this Ypsilanti Township home Tuesday.
Kyle Feldscher | AnnArbor.com
Editor's note: The headline of the story has been corrected to reflect the number of residents home at the time of the fire.
An Ypsilanti Township family lost just about everything and a firefighter suffered a second-degree burn in a fire that gutted a two-story home Tuesday evening.
Ypsilanti Township Fire Department Captain Brad Johnson said firefighters were dispatched at 7:52 p.m. Tuesday to 8184 Thornhill Drive after being notified that flames were coming through the roof of the home.
When they arrived, firefighters saw the back of the house was totally engulfed by the fire and flames were already spreading throughout the first and second stories.
Johnson said the fire was hot enough that vinyl siding was melting on the homes next door.
“It just consumed the place,” Johnson said of the fire. “The house is still standing, but it’s just gutted.”
It took about an hour for firefighters to get the blaze under control completely and crews eventually left the scene at 11:46 p.m., Johnson said. Ypsilanti Township firefighters were assisted by firefighters from the Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township fire departments.
Huron Valley Ambulance crews were on scene in case anyone needed medical assistance and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office was also on the scene.
Two of the three family members were at home when the fire broke out and managed to escape unharmed, but a family dog may not have been as lucky, Johnson said. The dog was still unaccounted for Wednesday morning, and Johnson said the family believed the dog did not get out of the home.
The home was considered a total loss — the fire did about $150,000 worth of damage to the structure of the home and the contents of the home were valued at $70,000, Johnson said. The combined damage to the nearby homes that had vinyl siding melted was estimated at $6,000, he said.
At this point, the cause of the fire is unknown. Johnson said investigators have determined the point of origin was in the back of the house, but the investigation into the cause will wrap up later on Wednesday.
One firefighter was treated at a local clinic for a second-degree burn on his arm and was released Tuesday night, Johnson said. The firefighter’s injury was not severe enough to take him to the emergency room.
The American Red Cross took the family in, providing food, clothing and shelter.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
grimmk
Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 6:33 p.m.
I hope they all recover soon. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of the dog. I'm glad everyone made it out all right. Thank you firefighters and the red cross!!
Jacqueline
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 4:09 p.m.
This is the woman who escaped the house. I saw your theory and you're full of it! I have lost EVERYTHING and you want to speculate on here for me to see? Get a life. To everyone else on here, thank you for your KIND thoughts.
jns131
Thu, Aug 30, 2012 : 1:39 p.m.
Everyone keeps asking about the dog. He will be part of the clean up efforts if he did not make it. I am glad to hear the other two and the family made it out safely. Make a memorial and rebuild. What a mess. I still have a theory about that fire but will get deleted again.
GoNavy
Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 4:10 p.m.
Sorry about the dog. Hope the owners had insurance.
jns131
Thu, Aug 30, 2012 : 1:35 p.m.
If they have a mortgage they have insurance. You can't buy one without the other.
FrankOZ
Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 3:21 p.m.
Kudos to the responding Red Cross volunteers. Many of them have full-time jobs, but are still available at any time during the evening and early morning hours to help these families. The Red Cross fulfills a vital service by tending to the people involved so the fire fighters can do their job. The simple act of wrapping a blanket around someone as they stand in their pajamas watching their home burn can mean so much. Additionally, the Red Cross provides several days of lodging, personal care items and money for clothing and food - necessities people don't really think about until they lose everything.
Jacqueline
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.
It was our house and my husband was out of town and getting on a plane home. I had been injured and had my baby. Red Cross helped when I was still watching my house burn. They took care of us for 3 days. We didn't need it past the 2nd day. Insurance kicked in THEN!! Thank god for Red Cross. When our house is rebuilt I am having a neighborhood party and raising money to donate back to them. May, JNS131, you should spend your time doing that instead of telling how I did things or what went on, when YOU DON'T KNOW!!!!
jns131
Thu, Aug 30, 2012 : 1:37 p.m.
I have to disagree with that one. Most times if you have a good insurance agent you can be in something else, car or home within a matter of hours. Happened to us. Lousy agent good insurance company though.
Fordie
Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 5:16 p.m.
Typically insurance isn't fast enough to get people through the first night, sometimes even the first week.
Fester
Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 4:16 p.m.
Nice that the Red Cross does that....but that is what insurance is for.