Oakland County Sheriff deputies assisted the Independence Township Fire Department in three recent house fires, with none resulting in injuries.
An unoccupied Clintonville Road home caught fire on Dec. 23, and deputies closed the road as firefighters worked the scene. A fire captain told deputies that the apparent accidental fire started in the kitchen.
A Columbia resident awoke to the smell of smoke on Dec. 25, discovering fire behind a wall near the fireplace. He and his 12-year-old son escaped unharmed.
A Dec. 26 incident on Mann Road was reportedly caused by a resident emptying burning ashes onto the mobile home deck. He apparently thought the snow would extinguish the embers, but they melted part of the home’s siding.