By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Firefighters from Orion Township responded to two fires in less than a week of each other and one home was destroyed.
The first fire took place last week and the firefighters were met with some not-so-stellar weather.
The firefighters that responded to last week’s devastating blaze had to deal with raging flames but also freezing water as temperatures dipped below zero.
At around 10:30p.m. on Wednesday, February 17, firefighters were called to the 3800 block of Waldon Park Blvd. for an attached garage that was engulfed in flames. When the first-arriving crews pulled up to the house, turbulent black smoke was billowing and the fire was beginning to make its way into the house.
Within minutes the fire had spread throughout the house despite the firefighters attempts to extinguish the blaze. Because of the fast moving fire and the confirmation that nobody was inside the house, the incident commander deemed the fire an outside-only attack for firefighters.
‘Once it was determined that there were no occupants and because of the heavy fire that was reaching into the attic area it was determined that the structure was not safe for crews to enter,? Chief Bob Smith said. ‘The nature of the fast movement of the fire made it very unsafe to commit crews inside.?
While firefighters were battling flames from the outside, they were also battling Mother Nature at the same time outside. Spray from hoses covered the gear and air tanks of the crews around the house.
‘The biggest challenge was the weather and temperature;’it was minus one degree and the hoses, personal gear and other stuff was freezing within minutes,? Smith said. ‘That and the fact that the ground was freezing all around making it extremely difficult to walk, stand or advance were all challenges.?
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department investigators. Though Smith did not have an estimated loss he did say that it was a total loss for the family.
The house currently has an estimated valued by realtor.com of $311,575 but the total loss is much higher with the home’s contents.
The house just south of the fire sustained melted siding due to the intense heat.
‘Everyone performed flawlessly given the circumstances of the weather challenges,? Smith said. ‘There was minor damage to the house next to it but all in all, given the amount of fire showing on our arrival, the firefighters completed their tasks flawlessly.?
A GoFundMe fundraiser account has been set up for the owners of the house. Currently, 156 people have donated nearly $8,000 in four days.
During the early morning on Tuesday, February 23, firefighters were called upon again to the 2900 block of Indianwood Road for a fire burning inside the walls of a two-story home. Residents of the home were alerted to the fire by the smell of smoke around 4:30am and could see flames burning in the wall.
Firefighters were able to make quick entry into the home and extinguish the fire. According to Smith, a crack in the brick chimney allowed embers to get into the wall and start burning the wood studs of the home. No one was injured during the fire and the damage was contained to the area around the chimney.
Smith emphasized that a fire can happen to anyone and being prepared could be a lifesaver. He wants to remind everyone to check their smoke alarms once a week and to replace the alarms if the alarms are older than 10 years.
The fire department will also provide at home fire safety checks at no charge and can go over tips on how to maximize fire safety in the home.