Addison Township firefighters made a save in Lakeville April 21 as they prevented a raging fire inside an attached garage from spreading and doing more damage.
‘We actually stopped it before it got into the house,? said Fire Chief Jerry Morawski. ‘The guys did a great job stopping it.?
The fire occurred in the 500 block of Manotic Dr., north of Lakeville Rd. The department received the call at 7:48 p.m.
A vehicle inside the two-and-a-half car garage caught fire and the flames spread to the surrounding structure and contents, according to the Morawski.
How the vehicle fire started is not known, but the chief noted the homeowner ‘did have some issues with it? just prior to the blaze.
‘He was trying to start it and he thought it was flooded,? Morawski explained.
The homeowner went to his parents house next door and borrowed their vehicle.
‘As he started driving away, he saw smoke coming out of his garage,? Morawski said.
The homeowner attempted to put it out using fire extinguishers, but was unsuccessful.
When firefighters arrived on scene, flames were pouring out of the open garage door and rolling toward the sky.
‘We were concerned about the electrical wires overhead,? Morawski said. ‘The wires were actually burning. The flames were that high.?
Firefighters had the blaze under control in 22 minutes.
‘The garage is still standing,? Morawski said. ‘It’s structurally unsafe, but it’s still standing. It’s going to have to be rebuilt.?
The chief estimated the fire resulted in $50,000 to $60,000 worth of damage between structure and contents.
He noted the house suffered some smoke damage.
It was fortunate that the department was able to use water straight from Lakeville Lake to snuff out the fire.
‘We had unlimited water,? Morawski said.
There’s no municipal water system connected to fire hydrants in Addison, so the department must rely on tanker trucks and natural water supplies to fight fires.