By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
A fire to a home in the 1100 block of Forest Lake Boulevard that caused an estimated $110,000 in damage and took crews several hours to extinguish has been ruled accidental by investigators from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
Floor conditions inside the home and water supply issues contributed to the difficulties in getting the fire under control.
Dispatched at 5 p.m. on February 7, firefighters from Station 1 in downtown Lake Orion arrived on scene to a 1,000-square-foot single-family home on Forest Lake Boulevard with fire coming from the basement. Shortly after arriving, a full-alarm was ordered which called for all four Orion stations to respond.
‘We went defensive (using outside firefighting tactics) within a few minutes of arrival as the first floor was showing signs of weakness,? Fire Chief Robert Smith said. ‘The floor collapsed and made getting to the seat of the fire more difficult.?
Smith, who was the incident commander during the fire, stated that there are high hazards that come with battling basement fires. Those hazards include unknown structural conditions, the location of the fire, and high heat in attempting to access the basement.
‘They [basement fires] are some of the worst that we face so the first thought is making sure that no one enters until everything has been thoroughly examined,? said Smith.
Mutual aid was sought from surrounding departments due to the area’s water supply. The fire, which occurred near Conklin and Forest Lake, had its closest fire hydrant at Schorn and Miller Rd; more than a mile away. Oakland Township, Oxford Township, and Addison Township were among the fire departments that sent large water tankers for help.
All occupants in the home made it out unharmed and there were no injuries to firefighters.